Grape harvest rises by 15% this year in Samangan province: officials

This year, 30,000 tons of grapes were harvested in Samangan province, a 15 percent increase on last year, local officials said.

According to them, last year, 25,000 tons were harvested.

Grape farmers said they are happy with the increase in yield, but that there isn’t much of a market for them and that they have a serious shortage of cold storage facilities for their produce.

“Our harvests are increasing compared to the previous years, but the lack of market and cold storage facilities has worried us,” said one farmer.

Officials from the Samangan Department of Agriculture said that they are trying to solve these problems.

“The Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, is trying to solve the problems of the people and farmers and will form a suitable market and [establish] cool storage facilities,” said Habib Rahman Waqas, head of agriculture in Samangan.

The districts of Feroz Nakhchir and Hazrati Sultan are the two districts that produce the most grapes in this province.

According to the officials, Samangan grapes were exported to India and Pakistan in the past. They said they are hoping to resume export activities in the near future