Kunduz sees bumper watermelon crop

KUNDUZ CITY/SHIBERGHAN (PAN): A remarkable increase was seen in watermelon production in northern Kunduz province this year when the crop was damaged by flies in Jawzjan province, growers and officials said on Saturday.

His one acre of land had produced 20-30 watermelons due to pest attacks in 2012, but the same area yielded 1,000 to 1,200 watermelons this year, a grower from Chahar Dara district, Khair Mohammad, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

“I have sold more than 2,000 watermelons from two acres of land at a reasonably good price,” said another farmer from Aliabad district, Rahmuddin. One watermelon earned 70afs on average.

He asked agriculture officials to provide medicine for farmers during the cultivation season against possible pest attacks and diseases.

Agriculture officials say more than 10,000 hectares of land have been cultivated with watermelons in Kunduz City, Chahar Dara, Aliabad and Khanabad districts.

Separately, watermelons were affected by flies in Jawzjan province, but the damage of last year’s pests was greater, said a farmer from Aqcha district, Mohammad Murad.

Of his five acres area of watermelons, 10 percent was affected by the flies in 2013. Last year 60 percent of his production had been damaged, he recalled.

A total of 500 hectares of land was cultivated with the fruit in the province, but the watermelons of Aqcha district were attacked by flies, Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Director Abdul Rashid said.

myn