Badakhshan residents expect satisfactory pistachio yield

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): Some residents in northeastern Badakhshan province are expecting a satisfactory pistachio yield this year due to growing fertility of Pistachio trees caused by increasing rainfall and preservation of pistachio forests.

Zabihullah Mubarez, one of the local influential persons hailing from the Samti village of Faizabad City’s 7^th Municipality District, said their area is covered with pistachio trees.

He said the Agriculture Department besides teaching them how to collect Pistachio professionally prevented the premature harvesting of pistachio in coordination with security forces and such steps resulted in the growth and fertility of pistachio forests.

Mohammad Zarif, another resident of Badakhshan province was also thrilled over the growing yield of pistachio in the province and said He and his other friends have been well trained by the officials of the Department of Agriculture on how to harvest the pistachio crops.

He said during the harvest process, they harvested pistachios without harming the trees. Last year, he harvested nearly 15 kilos of pistachios, and this year he hopes to collect more than 30 kilos of pistachios.

He added that the products obtained from pistachio trees are sold at a low price and there is no standard market for buying this valuable product in Badakhshan

Ismail Kargar, one of the laborers in the pistachio forests said that this year the yield of pistachio trees have grown well due to the preservation and care of the agriculture department of this province and they can also get good yields and more benefits.

He considers the increase in rainfall and decrease in winds during this year to be one of the factors for the increase in pistachio yields and adds that this year pistachio trees have grown in this province compared to last year and the Department of Agriculture has not allowed anyone to collect pistachios before the season.

Eng. Rohullah Noori, a senior officer of the Agriculture Department, said for 40 days, they have protected pistachio forests in more than ten districts of Badakhshan in cooperation with security forces, imams of mosques and village councils.

He said: “We have not allowed anyone to collect pistachios before the time, and we have taught them the process of collecting pistachios in a professional way to the residents who live near the pistachio forests in this province, which has prevented the cutting of pistachio branches.”

He added that about 90 tonns of pistachios harvested from the forests of this province every year, and due to the abundance of pistachio trees, pistachio yields in this province would increase during the current year, but he did not say anything about the exact statistics of the surged in Pistachio.

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