Pistachio Crops Increase in Northern Afghanistan

The Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said pistachio crops have enhanced by 98 percent in the northern Samangan province this year

The ministry cited the cooperation of locals and security forces as the reason for the enhancement of pistachio products with the ministry in the country's northern provinces.

"If we could be able to bring pistachio production under our control and pack and export it properly, it will be a good income source for the government," head of Afghanistan's Forest Management Committee, Sayed Aminullah Fakhri, told TOLOnews.

Samangan residents say the province's pistachios are sold at very low price in the province, but after it is exported to India and is processed in Indian companies, it reaches the international markets, especially to Europe and America with a very high price with Indian brand.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock confirmed the local residents' claims and said it is making efforts to attract foreign investment in establishing pistachio processing factories.

"We are trying to attract the attention of the private sector and gain good income through rehabilitating our agricultural economy with the help of this sector," Aminullah Fakhri said.

The Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said more than 900 million meter squares of land are covered with pistachio trees in the country's 11 provinces, that produce hundreds of tonnes of pistachios every year.