The yield of melon increased in northern Kunduz province this year amid complaints about lack of buyers.
Jabar, a grower in Chahardara district, told Pajhwok Afghan News he collected 30,000 afghanis gross income from his half an acre of land last year, compared to 50,000 afghanis this year from the same land.
He said, “Some diseases damaged the melon yield last year but this year we cultivated less land and spent more money, therefore the harvest is satisfactory.”
Rahmatullah, another farmer in Aliabad district, told Pajhwok the yield of melon increased this year but they were concerned about the lack of market.
He said, “I tried a lot to have good income, but we lack market and attention from the government side.”
The farmer urged the government to support and provide them medicines at the time of cultivation in the province.
Agriculture Director Hadi Qarliq told Pajhwok 111,000 hectors of land was brought under melon cultivation in Kunduz City, the provincial capital, Alibad and Khanabad districts this year.
He said according to their information the melon yield increased by eight percent this year over last year’s yield in the province.
He said Kunduz exported melons to Kabul, Badakhshan, Khost, Paktia, Nangarhar, Laghman and some other provinces. He said efforts were underway to address growers’ issues in near future.
