Officials at the Badakhshan Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock say climate change has damaged the province’s pistachio forests, reducing the area of natural pistachio forests from more than 10,000 hectares to just over 4,000 hectares.
Kaikawos Taksari, a spokesperson for the department, says droughts and hail in recent years have damaged pistachio trees across most districts of Badakhshan.
“Pistachio production in Badakhshan reached zero last year because of drought, and we did not get the desired harvest. In the solar year 1405 (2026), hail during the flowering and fruit-forming stages reduced pistachio yields in the province,” he says.
A number of farmers in Badakhshan also say they have harvested only small amounts of pistachios from their orchards this year.
Nabiullah, a farmer in Shahr-e Buzurg district, says he used to harvest 565 kilograms of pistachios from his orchards in previous years. However, this year, he has not been able to get a satisfactory harvest because of drought.
“In previous years, we could collect up to 80 seers of pistachios from our orchards. However, this year, due to reduced rainfall and snowfall, we could not harvest as many pistachios,” he says.
Sayed Shah, a farmer in Teshkan district, says: “In previous years, each person could harvest 50 to 60 seers of pistachios from 10 to 15 jeribs of land. Unfortunately, this year, we could not even harvest 20 or 30 seers.”
Burhanuddin, another farmer in Badakhshan, says cutting down pistachio trees is also one of the reasons for the decline in pistachio crops.
“We hire a guard to collect and protect the pistachios and prevent anyone from cutting down the trees. During the harvest season, everyone collects the pistachios at a specific time. Tree cutting, along with drought, has greatly affected pistachio crops,” he adds.
Pistachio forests in Badakhshan are located in the districts of Arghanj Khwah, Yaftal-e Payeen, Yawan, Shahr-e Buzurg, Teshkan, Tagab, Keshm and Argo.
A number of residents in Badakhshan, especially those living in remote areas, earn a living by working in pistachio orchards. A decline in pistachio crops could therefore affect their livelihoods.
Meanwhile, Hibatullah, General Director of Forests and Natural Resources at Badakhshan’s Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, says efforts are being made to protect pistachio forests by controlling plant pests and preventing tree cutting.
“In years when pistachio crops decline, family incomes also fall. We are working with local communities and other relevant departments to take the necessary measures to control plant pests and diseases and prevent overgrazing,” he says.
Abdul Hafiz Marufi, a natural resources expert, says preventing the cutting of pistachio trees, restoring vegetation and undertaking programmes to reduce the consequences of climate change could help protect pistachio forests and increase pistachio crops.
“Tree cutting, overgrazing and the destruction of vegetation cover have made pistachio forests more vulnerable to drought. To prevent the destruction of these forests, it is necessary to stop tree cutting, control grazing, restore vegetation cover, protect natural seedlings, prevent soil erosion, introduce water collection methods and regularly monitor climate change,” he adds.
Pistachio is one of the important agricultural crops in Afghanistan, grown mainly in Badghis, Herat, Sar-e Pol, Balkh, Samangan and other provinces. In addition to supplying domestic markets, some of the annual harvest is exported abroad.
Reporter: Faridullah Yaqobi
