KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): The Agriculture and Livestock department on Wednesday distributed fruit and vegetable drying machines to a number of male and female farmers in southeastern Khost province.

According to officials, the solar-powered machines were given away to 28 farmers as part of a horticulture development and sectorial project.

The beneficiaries said they will make better use of their fruits and vegetables and market them on time. But they said the assistance was not enough and they needed more such aid to improve production.

Engineer Hafizullah Shah Noori, director of Khost’s agriculture and livestock department, said each machine cost 183,000 afghanis and the total cost reached five million afghanis.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News the machines would enable farmers to increase their income from vegetables and fruits.

“The biggest problem for farmers here is that vegetables and fruits are seasonal and decay quickly, which causes losses to farmers”, he said.

Meanwhile Haji Wark, a farmer who received the machine, said in the past, it was hard to protect fruits and vegetables from insects.

Another farmer, Hajiyani Hakim, said that most of vegetable and fruit crops would be lost due to lack of storage facilities.

She said women would also benefit from the machines but their demand was more assistance to women in order they could earn a good income.

Bk/ma

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