Cotton cultivation up by 30pc in Kandahar this year

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): The Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department in southern Kandahar province says cotton crop is cultivated on 1200 hectares of land in the province this year — 30 percent up over last year’s cultivation.

Maulvi Shams Rahman, director of the department, told Pajhwok Afghan News that people turned to cultivation of cotton after poppy cultivation was banned in the province. He said this year’s cultivation of cotton showed a 30 percent increase.

“This year, cotton crop is cultivated on 1,200 hectares of land and it will produce 5,000 tons of harvest.”

Sahib Shah Agha, a farmer in Arghandab district, said he cultivated cotton for the first time on one acre of land and it yielded 1.9 tons of cotton.

Sayed Sarwar Amani, director chamber of mines and industries, told Pajhwok cotton was not cultivated in the past.

He said the cultivation of cotton crop would increase if foreign markets were found for the produce.

Cotton is cultivated in Maiwand, Zherai, Daman, Arghandab, Arghistan, Panjwai and Dand districts of Kandahar.

sa/ma

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