Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock in Maidan Wardak report an increase in apricot production in the province this year. According to their figures, nearly 5,400 metric tons of apricots were harvested from the province’s orchards, reflecting a 30% increase compared to last year.
Although the harvest has significantly increased, officials say many orchards have been affected by drought, which has reduced the quality of the harvest compared to previous years.
Aid Mohammad Zahiri, the head of agricultural affairs for the Ministry in Maidan Wardak, says: “We see a 30% increase in apricot harvests compared to last year, but due to the drought, the quality is not as good as in previous years.”
Some orchard owners in Maidan Wardak complain about the low prices of agricultural products. Gul Wazir, a 56-year-old orchardist from Jaghato district who has been involved in orchard farming for two decades, says that although this year’s apricot harvest is noticeably larger, he has had to sell a kilogram of apricots for only 40 Afghanis due to the lack of a proper market. This has significantly limited the orchardists’ income.
Gul Wazir adds: “I have four or five hundred trees, but this year’s income is very low. Last year, we sold a kilogram of apricots for 200 Afghanis, but this year, the market price is only 30 or 40 Afghanis. There is a lack of water, and the income is not enough to cover the costs of the orchard.”
Other orchardists mention drought, lack of cold storage, low export rates of fresh fruits, and low prices as serious challenges they face. They add that if no fundamental solutions are found, many orchardists may consider switching to other crops.
Shafiqullah, another orchardist, says: “Some people have uprooted their orchards, and if the situation remains the same, others will also give up farming. Currently, a kilogram of apricots is sold for 30 or 40 Afghanis.”
Sayed Habib Ilham, another orchardist, says: “If we had cold storage, we could keep our produce for a while and sell it at a better price. Our produce should be offered to international markets. If the market and drought conditions remain the same, many orchardists will quit farming because they work all year but end up losing their harvest.”
Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock in Maidan Wardak say that in collaboration with the Ministry, they have started efforts to build necessary cold storage facilities and find suitable international markets for the province’s fresh fruits.
Currently, apricot orchards have been planted on 1,500 hectares of land in Maidan Wardak, but due to persistent drought and the lack of a suitable market, they are at serious risk of disappearing.
