MAIMANA (SW) – A number of gardeners in Qaisar district in Faryab told Salam Watandar that as a result of the extreme cold of last year’s winter and this year’s drought, raisin production has decreased in this province.
They add that the price of raisins has also decreased by 40%.
Mohammad Nabi, a gardener in Qaisar district, says that last year the price of seven kilograms of black raisins was 1,200 afghanis, but this year it has decreased to 800 afghanis. “On one side it was cool and it was dehydrated,” he adds. “Due to lack of water, the crops of the gardens were burnt. Digging a well consumes a lot, a gardener cannot afford it. If the gardener sells his garden, maybe he can dig a well. It is not known whether the well has water or not. The only problems in Qaisar district is lack of a dam. If the dam is built, the yield of gardeners will increase by 70%.”
Mohammad Fazl, another gardener in Qaisar district, says that due to last year’s cold winter and this year’s drought and extreme heat, the amount of harvest from his garden has decreased by two times. He adds: “The yield of the garden has decreased, the reason is the lack of water. It cooled once, dried again. Of course, the heat was very high. This year, instead of timely rain, it rained on the vines. This year’s raisins are bought at the garlic market for 500 to 600 afghanis because people don’t buy wormy and rotten raisins.”
Mohammad Naeem, one of the raisin traders in Qaisar district, says that Qaisar’s raisin production has decreased by 30% compared to last year. But the prices do not differ much due to the increase in the value of the afghani currency and it is beneficial to the gardener. He adds: “Our products have decreased by 30% since last year because the cold weather and drought caused 30% of the orchards to be cut. Last year, one raisin pack cost 3000 Pakistani rupees, this year it will be 6000 tupees. Last year, the gardener sold a raisin pack and bought a 10-liter barrel of oil, but this year, they sell one pack raisin and buy two barrels of oil.”
On the other hand, Sayed Noor, the head of Qaisar Raisin Market, says that gardeners’ crops have decreased by 30% as a result of the cold winter, drought and lack of sufficient water. He adds: “Last year, a pack of red raisins was sold between 1,200 and 1,300 afghanis, but this year, for 1,100 afghanis it will be sold. Black raisins are selling well this year, while red raisins are relatively weak. Last year, the green raisin of Qaisar grew well, but this year there will be no sales to Kabul, high-quality raisins cost 3,000 afghanis, the commercial price of raisins is from 1,000 to 1,200 afghanis.”
Noor Al-Hada Mutawakkel, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, told Salam Watandar that the unprecedented coldness of last year’s winter and this year’s drought have caused a 50% decrease in raisin yields. But, he adds that the Ministry of Agriculture is trying to control monsoon water by building small dams so that gardeners can use it for irrigation. The Deputy Director of Agriculture of Faryab emphasizes that the survey of 17 dams in 17 districts of Faryab has been completed and the construction process will begin soon.
This is despite the fact that drought has affected the fields and gardens in different provinces for the third year in a row, and the income that farmers earned from their lands and gardens has decreased significantly.
ENDS
