Central Afghanistan: Poor Potatoes harvest increase poverty
... the potato harvest has dropped to half and its price has also fallen down. An ordinary farmer could harvest at least 1,000 sir (7,000 kg) of potatoes in past years and sell each sir (7 kg) for 170 Afghani (1.86 U.S. dollars).
The Bamiyan province surrounded by mountains in central Afghanistan is famous for housing the giant Buddhas as well as its ancient historic landscape. Its residents rely on agricultural products, especially potatoes to make a living. However, the crippling drought, endless war and instability have hampered potato harvest and led to price reduction. Qiamudin Falah, a farmer, told Xinhua that the potato harvest has dropped to half and its price has also fallen down. An ordinary farmer could harvest at least 1,000 sir (7,000 kg) of potatoes in past years and sell each sir (7 kg) for 170 Afghani (1.86 U.S. dollars).
He said this year, the harvest dropped to half and the price of 1 sir reduced to 92 Afghani. Expressing frustration, Falah said Bamiyan produced 400,000 tonnes of potatoes last year but the crippling drought reduced the outcome to almost half this year. The cultivation of potatoes has been supported and encouraged in the province over the past nearly two decades. Almost all the farmers in the highland province cultivated potatoes to earn their livelihood. To encourage potatoes cultivation, authorities provided improved seeds and chemical fertilisers to the farmers in Bamiyan province.
In efforts to promote Bamiyan potatoes and find market for the crop, the provincial authorities marked "Jashn-e-Gul-e-Kachalo" (Potatoes Flower Celebration) over the past four years, but the celebration has yet to take place this year. The farmers were concerned over the decreased in potato harvest and price, which would bring poverty and reduce their abilities in buying daily necessities ahead of the chilly winter. According to a joint report of the UNICEF and the World Food Programme released early October, 14 million people of Afghanistan's some 35 million population were facing food shortage.
Also about 3.2 million children under the age of five were expected to suffer from malnutrition by the end of the year. The freezing winter for the poor Afghans, especially for those living in the mountainous regions like Bamiyan, would prove to be catastrophic if not provided with humanitarian assistance, locals said.