Balkh farmers eye cold storages to preserve harvests

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): A number of farmers in northern Balkh province say they are concerned about the deterioration of their agriculture products and are asking the government to establish cold storage facilities.

According to farmers, Balkh produces many agricultural products, but due to the lack of cold storages in the province, they sell their products at low prices every year.

Mohammad Akbar, a farmer, told Pajhwok Afghan News due lack of cold storages, he could not preserve his yield for another season so that was why he sold it at a throwaway price.

He asked the government to establish cold storage facilities on a priority basis in order to save farmers from financial losses.

Gul Mohammad, another farmer, said: “Every year, I grow onions, potatoes and garlic and sell them at a low price, but in next three seasons I buy the same vegetables at high price from the market.”

He added that Balkh was an agricultural province and the government should establish standard-cold storage facilities in the province to support farmers.

On the other hand, agriculture experts also believe Afghanistan is an agricultural country and the government should pay special attention to agriculture and support farmers.

Abdul Manan Ayubi, an expert in agriculture, told Pajhwok that cold storages played a major role in preserving products and also in balancing market prices.

He added that if the government constructed standard cold storages for farmers to preserve their products, then agricultural products of all seasons would be available in the market at a cheap price.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Azim, Balkh agriculture irrigation and livestock director, told Pajhwok there were about ten private cold storage facilities in the province, but they were not being used due to poor coordination among farmers.

He said they had shared the problem with the Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock (MoAIL).

He added the department of agriculture irrigation and livestock was using all possible ways to support farmers.

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