Heavy snowfall: Takhar farmers upbeat about crop yields

TALOQAN (Pajhwok):  Farmers in northern Takhar province are happy with the heavy snowfall this year, saying the upcoming year will be promising.

According to them, the recent snowfall will reduce drought and make water available for agricultural lands so they will get satisfactory crops.

Sharif Khan, one of the farmers in Takhar province, says: “There was drought this year and we did not get good crops from our agricultural lands. Now that we are witnessing more rains, we hope to get good crops next season.”

Haji Gul, another farmer, said he had no good harvests for several years due to drought, but now he was hopeful the snowfall would help quell drought fears and he would get good harvests from his fields next year.

Mohammad Naeem, an agriculture expert, said although the heavy snowfall and extreme cold had landed poor families in trouble, it was good for farms and agricultural lands.

According to him, the recent snowfall contributed to the reduction of grain prices in the province by three percent, resulting in reduced prices of food items in the market. The snowfall also plays a role in eliminating natural pests.

Meanwhile, Maulvi Rahimullah Ahadi, head of agriculture in Takhar, told Pajhwok that as a result of last year’s drought, most crops parched, but now the heavy snowfall had made farmers upbeat about good harvests next year.

He added the snowfalls were effective in eliminating pests and increasing crop yields.

sa/ma