Canal garden to produce 2 tons of dates this year

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Date harvest at the canal’s garden in eastern Nangarhar province is predicted to be two tons – double compared to this year, officials said Wednesday.

Around 2,800 trees have been planted in the garden by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 10 years back and it was expected the trees would start yielding dates within four years.

However, the garden started producing dates later than expected but the product has increased since last year.

The garden director Abdul Qaium Atrafi told Pajhwok Afghan News that 150 plants in the garden would give two tons of dates this year.

He said they had collected one ton of dates from 70 trees last year, but this year the produce would be double.

He said the lack of a surrounding wall and processing issues had been shared with the authorities concerned and if these issues were addressed, they could export the dates abroad as well.

Nangarhar Canal head Parwiz Ali confirmed the increase in dates production and said efforts were underway to further increase in the yield.

He said the UAE envoy in Kabul had assured them the creation of more gardens and further cooperation in this regard.

pk/ma