Fruit production sees 30 percent increase in Balkh – officials

Officials at the Balkh Department of Agriculture and Livestock say that fruit harvests in the province are up 30 percent compared to that of last year.

Salem Sayi, head of the Balkh Department of Agriculture and Livestock, said that despite strong winds and torrential rains that have damaged trees, fruit yields have increased by 30 percent in comparison to last year.

On the other hand, a number of gardeners in Balkh say that the lack of markets and refrigeration storages have caused them to sell their products at low prices.

The head of the Balkh Department of Agriculture and Livestock said that the Coronavirus crisis had also damaged the horticultural industry and that they could not export fruit to other countries.

Presently, Balkh has 23,000 hectares of agricultural land where a variety of fruit trees are grown.

Officials at the Balkh Agriculture Department say that new orchards are being built on an area of 23,000 acres a year.

They say that 20 refrigeration storages have been built for apple and pomegranate storage, and the construction of new cold storage houses is to be assumed this year.