Business
Afghan farmers harvested more than 2,500 tons of peppers last year
According to the Statistics and Information Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), 2,529 metric tons of peppers were produced in the country last year, of which 184 tons were bell peppers.
According to the ministry, Laghman province had the highest yield with over 400 tons while Helmand, Parwan, Kandahar, Takhar and Balkh also provided substantial yields, MAIL said.
Parwan province was however noted as being the most important producer of bell peppers in the country and last year, 280 hectares of land was cultivated for this purpose – land that yielded 30 tons of bell peppers.
Peppers are extremely popular in Afghanistan and are used fresh or dried in daily cooking.
As part of their efforts to promote farming and processing of products in the country, MAIL has distributed solar dryers to a number of women farmers across the country in a bid to help them dry fresh vegetables and fruits – in order to stop wastage.