The National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) announced on Monday, that Afghanistan is benefiting from a 30% surge in cotton production compared to the previous year.
In a press release, the NSIA under the Islamic Emirate has conducted its first-ever cotton survey across 15 provinces in Afghanistan.
According to the survey, a total of 159,000 metric tons of cotton have been produced this year.
The statement mentioned that the provinces with the highest cotton production include Helmand, with 80,000 metric tons; Balkh, with over 34,000 metric tons; Kandahar, with over 11,000 metric tons; Jowzjan, with nearly 11,000 metric tons; and Nangarhar, with over 5,000 metric tons.
The NSIA also announced that, for the first time in 1403 solar year, it has used remote sensing technology, including satellite imagery interpretation, to identify cotton-growing areas in the country.
Based on this data, it has been determined that 105,000 hectares of land have been used for cotton cultivation.
“According to satellite imagery analysis, cotton was cultivated in 17 provinces this year, showing a 12% increase in cotton cultivation area compared to the previous year. Helmand had the largest cotton-growing area with 50,000 hectares, while Kapisa had the smallest with 66 hectares.
The authority added that cotton is one of Afghanistan’s key export commodities, with cotton and cottonseed exports valued at 273 million USD in the past year.
