MAIMANA (Pajhwok): A number of local gardeners and traders in northwestern Faryab say that this year the level of raisin production in the province has doubled, but the price of this product has dropped sharply.
The Agriculture Department acknowledged the surge in raisin production and decline in its rate, saying that the production and supply of raisins doubled, the lack of a market, and the lack of a processing factory in this province were the main factors behind the decline in the price of this product, and efforts are ongoing to attract the attention of government officials in the center and national traders in the field.
Sayed Muhaiuddin, one of the gardeners of Qaisar district, said: “This year the grape harvest was good and we were able to produce a large amount of raisins, and the production of raisins has doubled compared to the past, but unfortunately, the price of raisins has decreased by half compared to last year.”
He said the main problem for gardeners during the grape season is the lack of water and pest control chemicals, which means that the orchards do not produce quality products. During the raisin harvest season, there is a lack of markets and traders are not interested, the government should pay serious attention in addressing these problems.
Nasrullah, another gardener, said the abundance of grapes in plants had a negative impact on grape yields, which caused the quality of raisins to be low, and at the same time, premature rainfall during the drying of raisins affected and harmed gardeners.
Qudratullah, is another gardener who complained about the decline in the price of raisins and called on the government to facilitate the sale and export of raisins abroad so that gardeners’ hard work is not sold at a low price.
Raisins Market shortage and need for government support
Sayed Abdul Hai, one of the local businessmen, said The price of raisins has decreased by 40 to 50 percent this year, and the caretaker government should encourage national and international traders and companies to facilitate the sale and export of Qaisar raisins to global markets so that gardeners do not become discouraged from continuing to work and produce raisins.
The reason for the decline in the price of raisins is the lack of a market in the country and called on the caretaker government to facilitate the sale and export of gardeners’ products to global markets.
Mohammad Naeem, a major businessman in Qaisar, Faryab, says that if it were not for the untimely rains, water shortages and other pests, gardeners’ products would have increased many times this year and people’s lives would have changed.
He said gardeners and traders are fully satisfied with the security in the country, but what they urgently need is water, and the Islamic Emirate must pay serious attention to the construction of water diversion dams and canals so that monsoon water is not wasted in neighboring countries.
Lutfullah, head of one of the firms in Faryab, said the quantity of raisins was high in Qaisar but the rate is down, these days three to four trucks of raisins are sent to Iran, Pakistan, India and Uzbekistan.
Haji Daro Khan, one of the businessmen from Kandahar who went to Faryab to purchase raisins, said raisins were available at huge quantity this year and the price was 50 percent down compared to the past year.
He said last year seven kilograms of black raisins were available for up to 1,700 afs, red raisins for 1,200 afs but this year the price of black raisins is up to 1,100 afs and red raisins 6,00 afs.
Officials’ views
Sayed Farid, head of the Fayab Chamber of Commerce, said raisin sellers should form a union and package Faryab products properly and in a standard manner, and share their samples with the Chamber of Commerce so that they can collaborate in marketing and sales.
He added that local raisin sellers and traders in Faryab sell raisins individually in Balkh, Kabul, Herat and Kandahar provinces, which is why there is no accurate statistics on raisin production and export in the Chamber of Commerce.
He said that the demands of the gardeners will be shared with the responsible officials of the caretaker government and national and international traders so that Faryab raisins can be sold at a reasonable price.
Makhdoum Abiburrahman, deputy head of the Agriculture Department, said Raisin production has doubled compared to the previous year, while its price has almost halved.
The reason for the decrease in raisin prices is the increase in yields, the lack of a processing factory in Faryab, and the lack of a fixed price, he said, adding: “This year, the grape yields and raisin production levels in Faryab were higher than the gardeners expected. When supply is high and demand is low, it is clear that prices will decrease.”
Regarding the plans for the marketing of raisins and supporting gardeners, he said that the Department of Agriculture has been and was trying to increase gardeners’ products, but marketing and exports are the work of other government departments that will definitely be addressed by the Islamic Emirate authorities.
According to the head of agricultural affairs in Faryab, there are about 16,000 hectares of grape orchards in the districts of Qaisar, Almar, Khajeh Musa, Khajeh Sabzposh, Shirin Tagab and Dawlatabad of this province, and an estimated 85,000 tonns of raisins will be obtained from these orchards.
Acting Agriculture Minister Attaullah Umari said that the IEA was committed to do everything for the development and promotion of farmers.
Referring to the increase in raisin production and the decrease in its price in the markets, he says that this year, there has been a significant increase in production not only in Afghanistan, but also in all agricultural countries, and an alternative to Afghan raisins has been provided abroad at a lower price, which has also affected the decrease in its price.
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