Badakhshan’s first fruits research farm inaugurated

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): An agriculture and fruits research farm ‘Kokcha Agriculture Research Farm’ constructed on 21 acres land has been inaugurated in northeastern Badakhshan province, an official said on Sunday.

Nasratullah Talha, general Agriculture and Irrigation Research Director at the ministry of agriculture, said the creation of agriculture research farms were vital in the agriculture self-reliance of the country.

He asked the local administration to conduct agriculture research in cooperation with teachers and students and shared its outcome with the district officials as well.

Agriculture Director Qari Qutbuddin Dahnavi termed the creation of agriculture farms in Badakhshan province vital and said it was the 23rd fruits research farm in the country.

He said: “The importance of this research farm is to be able to save the generation of native fruits of Badakhshan, which is on the verge of extinction, and turn the country towards agricultural self-sufficiency and exporting fruits in the world.”

He said, earlier, two grain research farms existed in the Ganjabad area of Eshkashim and Dasht Farakh area of Baharak. And this was the only research farm where research would be conducted on major horticulture products in cooperation with agriculture research experts and students on the fruits generations.

Abdul Bashir Haqjo, an influential Ulema Council member, considered the achievements of the Department of Agriculture important and valuable in the past two years and says that the officials of this department have been able to carry out vital tasks in the agriculture sector in this province with complete honesty.

Mohammad Hakim, one of the farmers expressed happiness over the creation of fruits farm, and said Badakhshan’s climate friendly fruits should be researched and shared the yield improvement result with farmers in the districts.

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