(MENAFN- Afghanistan Times) KABUL: Afghanistan produces an estimated 10,000 tonnes of fish every year, an official said on Monday, admitting that such low production won't meet the country's consumption levels.

Fish farms and marine fisheries produce 10,000 tonnes of fish every year, which is consumed inside the country, said Head of Livestock Department at Ministry of Agriculture Sayed Majdod Raihan. 'However this level of fish production won't suffice to fulfill domestic consumption needs,' he said.

Raihan said that fish farms had increased in number exceeding 2,000 fisheries, majority of which are located in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Nangarhar, Laghman and Balkh provinces.

He asserted that fish production is dependent on weather and water levels in rivers.

Head of Fish Propagation Farm of Qargha Khalil Ferogh said that the Qargha Fish Propagation Form is the only fish farm at the level of the country.

He said that we have planned to establish three new fish propagation farms in Balkh, Nangarhar and Bamyan provinces.

Currently we grew up two kinds of fish in Qargha farm, fish of warm water and cold water, where 7000 fish is ready for propagating in section of cold water and 3000 new fish will be ready propagation in next year, he mentioned.

He highlighted that around 20,000 fish is under upbringing in the section of warm water.

This farm has provided three million fish to Naghlo, Salma, Qargha dam, Panjshir, Kunar and Salang rivers, he said.

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