With the start of the growing season this spring, the green slopes and mountains of Panjshir, Parwan and Kapisa once again saw large numbers of local residents heading into the mountains to collect mushrooms, rhubarb and other medicinal plants. For many families, these plants not only meet some of their food and medicinal needs but also provide a source of income.
Alongside the use of these plants, concerns about the excessive and improper harvesting of mountain plants have also increased. Uprooting some plants and collecting them without following scientifically recommended methods reduces their ability to grow again and, in the long term, can damage vegetation and grazing areas in mountainous regions.
A number of residents of these provinces say that most of the plants they collect are sold to traders, while others are used by families for food and medicinal purposes. Ahmad Seyar, a resident of Karaman village in Dara district of Panjshir, says that a lack of awareness about proper harvesting methods has damaged the vegetation in the area.
“This year, people have collected large amounts of these plants using traditional methods. Unfortunately, no training has been provided to local people on the proper methods for collecting these plants. This method of harvesting damages vegetation in grazing areas, especially when people pull rhubarb out of the ground by hand. When the plant is uprooted, it does not grow again,” he says.
Improper harvesting of mountain plants is not only a concern for people who earn an income from selling them. A number of residents who go to the mountains to collect plants for personal use are also concerned about the continuation of this trend.
Nadeem Azizi, a resident of Kapisa, says his family does not collect mountain plants for trade and mainly uses them for food and to treat some illnesses.
“We do not collect them for trade; we use them for our own needs, mostly for food and to treat some illnesses. For example, we use chicory to treat some illnesses, we eat rhubarb, and mushrooms are also a very good and rare food. But, these plants are collected using traditional methods,” he says.
The continuation of this practice has raised concerns among residents of mountainous areas and environmental activists about the future of these natural resources.
Amrullah Mohammadi, a resident of Joy-Dokhtar village in Siyahgerd district of Parwan, says that excessive harvesting of plants could gradually lead to the destruction of vegetation and grazing areas.
“Rhubarb, chukri and mushrooms grow in the mountains and plains, but people collect them excessively, which can seriously damage vegetation and destroy grazing areas. I am sure that these plants will become less common over time and will eventually disappear. The government should raise public awareness and protect these areas,” he adds.
Natural resource experts also warn that continued excessive harvesting and the lack of proper management to protect mountain plants could put the natural and genetic resources of some of these species at risk. Sayed Ahmad Malekzada, a natural resource expert and university lecturer, says,
“These plants usually grow in areas that are not managed or protected by any group or family, and they are harvested excessively, which is really concerning. To prevent their genetic resources from being lost, public awareness should be raised. These plants are a national genetic bank and should not be destroyed.”
In response to these concerns, officials from the agriculture departments of Panjshir, Parwan and Kapisa say that the harvesting of medicinal plants should be carried out in accordance with specific regulations and permits, and that unauthorized harvesting will not be allowed.
Fazlullah Dewband, head of the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock in Panjshir, says that the province has various species of medicinal and aromatic plants.
“Among these plants are hing (asafoetida), kaman, licorice, mountain onion, harmal, borage, and other medicinal and aromatic plants. Contract companies are allowed to collect these plants in accordance with the relevant regulations. We have comprehensive and well-planned programs in place to provide alternative economic opportunities,” he adds.
Meanwhile, Neyaz Mohammad Taayeb, head of Agricultural Affairs at the Parwan Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, says that various types of medicinal plants grow naturally in the province and that harvesting them without a permit is prohibited.
“There are around 100 types of medicinal plants in the natural areas of Parwan, including licorice, cumin, anise, harmal, mushrooms, rhubarb, fumitory, nettle and others. No one is allowed to collect or use these plants without a permit,” he says.
For many families in Panjshir, Parwan, Kapisa and other parts of the Hindu Kush region, mountain plants are more than just part of nature. They are closely connected to people’s sofra, medicine and livelihoods. However, excessive and improper harvesting could put these sources of income and daily necessities at risk of disappearing in the future.
Experts and local residents emphasize that setting specific seasons and limits for harvesting, preventing plants from being uprooted, teaching people proper collection methods, and protecting sensitive areas could help balance people’s livelihood needs with the protection of nature. Otherwise, what is now a source of income and part of the food and medicinal needs of some families could, in the coming years, become another victim of vegetation destruction and the expansion of desertification in Afghanistan’s mountainous areas.
