The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation reportes an increase in persimmon orchards and a growing interest among farmers in this crop.
According to the ministry, currently, 1,328 hectares of land across 16 provinces are dedicated to persimmon orchards, producing more than 12,000 metric tons of persimmons annually.
Misbahuddin Mustaeen, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, stated: “Persimmons is one of the fruits that has recently been promoted in the country. Farmers are increasingly interested in establishing persimmon orchards. Thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture, the number of orchards and their productivity is increasing day by day.”
Sayed Hafizullah, technical advisor to the Directorate of Agriculture and Irrigation in Kunar, told TOLOnews: “Overall, I can say that this year, in Kunar province, our estimate for persimmon production is about 5,200 tons, which has now been introduced to the market.”
Siddiqullah, a resident of Khas district in Kunar province, expressed satisfaction with the increase in persimmon production compared to previous years, saying: “Last year, 84 trees produced 1,700 cartons. This year, the production has increased to around 2,500 cartons. Each carton is sold for 450 afghani, and the market is favorable.”
Hazrat Wali, another farmer in the province, said: “In the future, we hope to see improvements in market accessibility for our orchards and fruits. Cold storage facilities should be established, and high-quality chemical fertilizers should be provided for us.”
In addition to Kunar, a large number of residents from other provinces have also started cultivating persimmons, yielding promising results.
Sadiq, a farmer from Khost, said: “When the weather is either too hot or too cold, the persimmons ripen. You can see them on the trees and around. When it gets cold, they ripen due to the cold. We need cold storage facilities. The fruits should be harvested while unripe and then stored in cold storage, which would increase their shelf life and provide better market opportunities.”
These farmers demand the establishment of standard cold storage facilities, distribution of chemical fertilizers, and measures to prevent plant diseases.
Mohammadullah, another farmer from the province, stated: “Our request to the government is to provide proper pesticides and ensure suitable markets for farmers.”
According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, most persimmon production comes from orchards in Kapisa, Laghman, Nangarhar, Kunar, Khost, Kunduz, and Badakhshan provinces, contributing to greater fruit diversity in the markets.