Logar farmers produce hundreds tonnes of oleaster annually

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): One of the famous dried fruit of the country, oleaster grown in most of the provinces but the variety from central Logar province has enjoyed upper hand due to its taste and quality.

Some of the orchards owners have said that the price of oleaster varies according to its types like “Khurmaee, Halwaee, Kashmishi and Pakhtaee” one kilogram of oleaster is sold from 80 afs up to 180 afs in local markets.

Abdul Wakil, an orchard owner from Pul-i-Alam, the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News, oleaster orchards are found in the provincial capital and in different districts of Logar province while the farmers get a remarkable income from oleaster harvests every year.

Some of the farmers grow oleaster trees on the sides of water streams and start producing fruit in in 4 or 5 years. The trees grow blossoms in spring and its fruit is gets ripe in fall season, Abdul Wakil said.

Sayed Rahman Stanikzai, a gardening expert told Pajhwok Afghan News, the oleaster gardening have had remarkable growth in compare to the past while some women also play a good role in gardening, they have enough information about oleaster gardening and get thousands of afs income from its gardening as well.

The oleaster trees grow up to ten meters high and their trunks reach up to 30-centimeter thickness and they are resistant to drought and flooding, Stanekzai said.

Stanikzai said: “Most of the oleaster gardens are in Logar province, three types of oleasters like (Pakhtaee, Khurmaee & Kashmishi) are famous and the orchards owners have enough awareness about rising its trees”.

Seddiqullah, an oleaster seller told Pajhwok Afghan News that Logar oleaster is famous in both of domestic and international markets while each kilogram is sold from 80 afs up to 180 afs in domestic markets.

Seddiqulah urged the government to help the farmers about marketing for a better price for their products.

Mohammad Rafi Ibrahimi, the deputy assistant of Livestock and Agriculture department told Pajhwok that oleaster is one of Logar’s dried fruit grown in the provincial capital and some districts.

Its orchards have flourished more than they were in the past while the farmers collect 400 tons oleaster harvest annually, the farmers also have enough awareness about it and they send their products to the markets of other provinces as well, Ibrahimi said.

It is worth mentioning that a Mashaera ceremony is annually held in Logar under the name of Sazal Gul “oleaster blossom” and some writers and poets from Kabul, Paktia and other provinces also participate in this ceremony.

Aw/nh

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