The Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of Panjshir in Afghanistan has reported a bumper harvest of walnuts totalling 241 metric tonnes.
The 2023 season beat 2022’s output of 217 metric tonnes, but came shy of the record production of 2021.
The Department of Agriculture’s head, Qari Fazlullah Dewobandi attributed the output to good weather including a fair measure of rains.
Dewobandi added that a total of 212 hectares under walnuts helped the province to reach its production potential. He advised that the government also added momentum to small-scale farmers through farm aid to grow the crop.
A Sliver of the National Walnut Production
Panjishir’s share of the national walnut production is only 1.1% but huge for this small valley of northeast Afghanistan.
According to FAOstat, Afghanistan walnuts reached 20,000 metric tonnes in 2022. The figure was 14.4% lower than 2021’s, the highest production year on record with an output that hit 23,360 tonnes.
2022’s statistics put Afghanistan walnut production at position 20, behind neighbouring Pakistan in global output.
Yields per hectare apexed 2,923.4 kg in 2022, far ahead of the world’s fourth biggest walnut producer, Turkey, with 1,806.5 kg.
In exports, Afghanistan sold 555.74 metric tonnes of walnuts in 2018, according to World Bank. The biggest trade partners for the crop included Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Germany in descending order of import size.
Modernized Agriculture in Panjshir
As national production of walnuts continues its clean sheet record, Panjshir’s traditional agricultural system has been modernising, too.
Since 2018, the National Horticulture and Livestock Project (NLP) has helped boost production by phasing out traditional farming via modern implements.
From wheat to walnut acres alongside peach and grape orchards, the province now grows grains and fruits via modern cultivation. Family farmers who traditionally used to reap 600 kg of wheat annually on 0.6 acres now see double yields.
NLP provides certified seeds with resistance against pests. The seeds also increase the yields of various crops including the nutty walnuts of Panjshir.
Wind farms have also risen in this small mining province of up to 200,000 people. Besides, hydroelectric dams offer extra power for a mainly rural community that lives in the region.
Ultimately, Panjshir is shining its light in other ways outside agriculture. It is the current centre of anti-Taliban resistance due to its strategic mountainous location and nearness to the capital, Kabul.