Agriculture

Agriculture Department officials in northern Samangan say this year’s almond yield in the province has increased by five percent compared to last year’s harvest. However, traders and gardeners report that reduced exports have caused a decline in the market price of the dried fruit.

PAKTIA (Pajhwok): Orchard owners in southeastern Paktia province say their orchards yielded better yields this year compared to the previous years, but the fruits are being sold at lower prices due to the lack of a suitable market. They demanded of the government to find market and and construct cold storage facilities for their crops.

A prominent agricultural figure in western Herat province, drawing on years of experience in the field, is striving to modernise traditional farming by promoting and distributing improved quality seed varieties.

About 90,000 doses of the small ruminant plague (PPR) vaccine have been distributed to veterinary clinics with financial support from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in northern Faryab province.

The third round of livestock plague vaccination has started in northern Jawzjan province, with 80,000 doses to be administered in the center and districts, an official said on Thursday.

Saira, a woman farmer in the capital of northern Jawzjan province, has provided job and income opportunities for more than 200 women by establishing an “agricultural cooperative”.

Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock department officials in central Logar province say a campaign to vaccinate 40,000 animals against plague, supported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has been launched in the province.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MoAIL) says that an Indian company, RC International, has pledged to purchase Afghan agricultural products for distribution in Indian markets.

Agriculture officials in central Logar province say this year’s grape harvest has improved, showing a 10 percent increase compared to last year.

Thirty-nine check dams have been constructed in southern Ghazni province over the past two years, helping to boost agriculture and mitigate the impacts of drought, according to farmers who report higher yields and rising groundwater levels.

A number of farmers in northern Samangan province say they incurred financial losses this year due to a sharp decline in the price of asafoetida (locally known as hing) and the lack of a proper market for the medicinal plant.

A number of landowners and farmers in western Herat province say the drip irrigation system not only drastically reduces water consumption, but also enables the cultivation of more land and leads to higher crop yields.