Farmers stage protest over cancellation of budget for 1,450 agricultural projects – Herat

Dozens of farmers rallied in front of a Herat governor’s office to protest on the cancellation of nearly 1,500 agricultural projects in the province.

The farmers accuse the central government of “double standards” over implementing development projects.

They claimed that although the implementation of 1,450 agricultural projects has been started in the province in the past one month, the budget for these projects yet to be approved.

Meanwhile, officials at the Herat Chamber of Agriculture and Finance say the cancellation of the projects will cause huge economic losses to farmers.

Najibullah Rahmati, deputy director of the chamber, said that in the current situation, farmers need serious government support.

On the other hand, officials from the Herat Department of Agriculture acknowledged that the construction of more than 1,000 raisins farms and 420 onion warehouses in various districts of the province has been suspended due to the rejection of the ministry’s budget by the House of Representatives.

The Herat local government confirms the problems raised by the protesting farmers, a spokesman for the governor of Herat insisted that the governor himself had met with the protesting farmers and promised to pursue their demands in Kabul.

The total number of projects to be implemented in the country’s various provinces was about 15,000, but the ministry’s budget and amendment plan were twice rejected by the House of Representatives. The projects which were done 30%, has been stopped.