(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News)
HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Pistachio exports from western Herat province have increased as pistachio worth $24.6 million were exported during the past nine months, an official said on Sunday.
Executive director of the Chamber of Commerce and investment Mohammad Yousuf Amin told Pajhwok Afghan News pistachio worth 20.382 million dollars were exported from Herat to foreign countries last year.
He said this year's pistachio exports from Herat to other countries reached $24,676,000, showing a 20 percent surge compared to last year.
He did not provide details about the countries where pistachios were exported from Herat.
Totally, the value of exports from Herat reached $119,032,000 including agricultural products, dried fruits, minerals and ornamental stones in past nine months of 1403 solar year, Amin added.
Meanwhile, head of Agriculture and Livestock Bashir Ahmad Bahaduri expressed satisfaction with the increase in pistachio exports and agricultural products from Herat. Pistachio was cultivated on 12,630 hectares of land in the province.
According to Bahaduri, this year, 7,663 tonnes of pistachio were collected from irrigated and dry forests in the province - 5,000 tonnes from dry forests and more than 2,000 tonnes from irrigated trees.
“Currently, there are 600 hectares of pistachio orchards in Herat, and the process of developing them is still ongoing”.
However, some dried fruit sellers explained pistachios were collected before reaching maturity, meaning the kernels did not develop, which resulted in poor quality pistachios this year.
Mohammad Nasir, a dried fruit seller, told Pajhwok Afghan News most of pistachios were collected before they were ripe, which damaged their quality and left them with no buyers here.
According to him, most pistachio sellers purchased their required pistachios from Iran due to the carelessness of gardeners while collecting their harvest, and that high-quality pistachios have also been exported abroad by traders.
On the other hand, local administration says it plans to expand pistachio's cultivation, almond, and walnut seedlings in the center and districts in the future.
At the meeting, Governor Maulana Noor Ahmad Islamjar said the plan was aimed at preventing climate migration and creating job opportunities for people in different districts.
Under the agreement with the Agriculture and Livestock Department, pistachio seedlings are planned to be planted in mountainous districts such as Kashk-e-Rabat-e-Sangi, Kashk-e-Kohna, Shindand, Adarskan and other areas.
He asked charity foundations and traders to cooperate in planting similar saplings in these areas to protect the people and the environment.
There are dry pistachio forests in the Kashk-e-Kohna and Rabat-e-Sangi districts, and water-fed pistachio is planted in other areas.
hz/ma
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