Anja plant naturally grows on 62000 hectors of Baghlan land

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Officials of the agriculture department in northern Baghlan province on Wednesday said anja plant has naturally grown on more than 62000 hectares of land in the province and also people’s interest in cultivating the herb has increased.

Anja is a type of mountain herb used in medicine and Afghanistan has an agreement with India in this regard.

Maulvi Nematullah, an official of the provincial agriculture department, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Anja was both naturally grown and has been planted by farmers this year.

According to him, the herbal plant is naturally grown on 62050 hectors of land in eight districts of the province and its harvest would reach 38.5 tonnes this year.

He said the yield of Baghlan anja could increase in future if donors cooperated in the field of agriculture. He said  Anja was a good alternative to narcotics and people should cultivate the plant.

Nasrullah Mohebzai, an employee of the Baghlan Agriculture Department's pastures department, said that the interest of people in cultivating Anga had increased but no assistance had been provided to the farmers so far.

According to him, half an acre of land is planted with five or six kilograms of anja seeds, which yields about 20 mound after four years. He said one mound of manja was sold for 100,000 afghanis --- more expensive than any other plant.

Habibullah Gujjar, a manja trader, told Pajhwok Afghan News that many farmers in Baghlan had started cultivating the herb this year.

According to him, in previous years, a kilogram of anja seed was sold in the bazaar between 3,000 and 5,000 afghanis, but this year the price has risen to 15,000 afghanis. "Anja has a higher price than any other plant and has a good market," he said.

Gul Din, a resident of Baghlani Markazi district, told Pajhwok Afghan News he planned to cultivate manja on hundreds of acres of rain-fed land this year. "It is a very good and useful plant, so we are working to prepare the land for it and cultivate it," he said.

Earlier, officials of the Baghlan Agriculture Department said that they had planted 800 hectors of land with anja plant in the province at a cost of 12 million afghanis.

Last year, Afghanistan exported anja plant worth $100 million to other countries.

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