Herat sesame yield reduces due to plant diseases: Farmers

HEAT CITY (Pajhwok): Some farmers in western Herat province expressed concerns about the significant decline in the sesame yield this year and termed plant diseases as the main reason behind this decline.

Feroz Ahmad, a farmer of the Gozara district, while talking to Pajhwok Afghan News has confirmed a significant reduction in sesame-seed production in the province.

He called on the government to help farmers fight natural pests and herbal diseases and make such facilities accessible for the farmers its time.

Abdul Qayom, another farmer from Anjil district has also expressed his concern about the low production of sesame seeds and asked the government to train the farmers how to fight plants’ diseases and provide them with all insecticides and other relevant equipment that are used in fighting the plant’s diseases.

If his sesame crops were not affected by plant disease he would have collected 200 kilograms of sesame seeds instead of the current 20 to 24 kilograms, he said.

He confirmed that he sprayed pest killers on his sesame fields but said it was not effective enough and the diseases destroyed his sesame crops.

Several agriculture specialists in Herat believed that the outbreak of a new type of plant disease has caused the reduction of sesame seed yields.

A Naturopathic doctor Haji Ghulam Mahboob Ziarat Jaee hoped that the agriculture, livestock and irrigation department of Herat would take necessary measures to control such diseases in upcoming years.

Local agriculture department officials have also confirmed a significant reduction in the production of sesame seeds in Herat due to plant diseases.

An official Maulvi Mohammad Naseem Sahar told Pajhwok that sesame was grown on 987 hectares of land this year but its seeds production was reduced due to reasons.

He said the reasons for the reduced production of sesame seeds were climate change, diseases, and unexpected rainfall and they advised the farmers on how to deal with such issues.

It is a priority for the officials of the agriculture department to help them and provide them necessary facilities on time how to cope with such factors.

The sesame seeds is mostly used to produce cooking in Afghanistan and it is grown in many provinces. The doctors said that the use of sesame oil is effective for diabetes, thalassemia and joint pains.

Aw/nh