Samangan farmers happy as pistachio yield, price jump

AIBAK (Pajhwok): Pistachio yield increased by 10 percent and its price by 33 percent in northern Samangan this year, an official said on Wednesday.

Humayon Habibi, provincial agriculture and livestock director, told Pajhwok Afghan News farmers collected 187 tons of pistachio this year in Samangan compared to last year’s 170 tons.

He said the pistachio was collected from forests on 42,000 hectares of land in different areas of the province including the provincial capital, Aibak, and districts.

Seven kilograms of the unshelled fruit was sold for around 6,000 afghanis last year but its price increased to 8,000 afghanis this year for being fully ripped, Habibi added.

Residents said they were happy with the increased income from pistachio this year. Sarajuddin, a resident of Shalakto area of the provincial capital, said: “I and my son collected 147 kilograms of pistachio and we prepared a total of 28 kilograms and each seven kilograms were sold for 1160 afghanis,”

He said his wheat farm yielded nothing due to drought this year but the money he earned form pistachio would help meet his family needs for some time.

Sarajuddin said he had collected a lesser amount of the fruit last year and was also cheaper in price.

According to reports, Samangan pistachio is exported to India, Pakistan and provinces.

Pistachio forests and gardens are also available in some other provinces including Badghis, Kunduz, Herat and others.

mds/ma

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