Nangarhar wheat yield down by 25pc due to drought

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): The Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department says wheat production has dropped by 25 percent due to drought and other natural disasters in eastern Nangarhar province.

Attaul Haq Bashiri, planning coordinator at the department, told Pajhwok Afghan News the province produced about 156,859 tonnes of wheat in 2022, compared to 209,146 tonnes last year.

According to him, there is a 25 percent decrease in the production of wheat compared to last year.

Abdul Sattar Mohammad, director of agriculture, said natural disasters and drought were the main reasons behind the decline in wheat production.

“As you know better, it was drought this year and some disasters also hit the wheat crop, including different diseases,” he added.

Mohammad Ilyas, a farmer from the Kaga area of Khogyani district, said at the beginning of the year, a lot of water flowed from Spin Ghar mountain but then there was no water later in the year.

He proposed the construction of small check dams in Wazir Tangi area to control the flow of water in Spin Ghar.

Riaz Ahmad, a resident of Chaparhar district, said since he had rain-fed land, he had dug up deep wells for irrigating his crops.

Agriculture officials said they had raised the issue of establishing irrigation systems in the province with the relevant ministry. Efforts are underway to control water.

sa/mud