Fish farm worth 15.4m afs being set up in Khost City

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Construction work has been initiated on a large fish farm at a cost of 15.4 million afghanis in the capital of southeastern Khost province, an official announced on Thursday.

Inamullah, an official of the Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock Department, told  Pajhwok Afghan News the farm was being built on three acres of land in the Farm Bagh area of Khost City.

He said the farm would have the capacity to house around 400,000 fish at a time, which would later be distributed to other regional farms.

He added: “This farm will have necessary facilities, including an agricultural area, an administrative building, a breeding centre and four production ponds.”

“Some fish will be distributed to regional farms, while others will be raised and sold directly,” the official explained.

Meanwhile, residents of the province welcomed the project’s launch. Haji Khan, a resident of the area, said: “Fish will be raised and produced locally and then supplied to other areas. Many people will get jobs on the farm.”

Rahmat Khan, another inhabitant of Khost, praised the farm as a significant step toward provincial self-reliance in fish production and creation of job opportunities.

According to the Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department, about 35 such farms are currently operational in Khost, producing approximately 90 tonnes of fish annually.

kk/mud