KABUL - Officials from the ministry of agriculture and irrigation on Thursday said that it will distribute 10,000 tons of improved seed to Afghan farmers this year in order to help local farmers harvest better crops.
They said that in addition to the seed, fertilizers will also be provided to the farmers.
Afghanistan needs nearly 60,000 tons of seed annually, but government provides only 10,000 tons.
According to officials, the ministry of agriculture and irrigation can only afford to supply this amount and is not able to meet the overall needs of farmers in terms of supplying seed.
“We need between fifty to sixty thousand metric tons of improved seed to facilitate all farmers across Afghanistan, but in view of our budget capacities, we are able to deliver only 10,000 tons of improved seed,” said Lotfullah Rashid, spokesman for the ministry of agriculture and irrigation.
Meanwhile a number of agricultural experts have said that a seed shortage and lack of fertilizers could have major implications on crops.
“They must conduct the necessary investigations about the imported improved seed to find out whether the seed is compatible with our land and weather, because the farmers have constantly complained about the quality of the seed,” said Yasin Farahmand, an agricultural expert .
“No one asked us about what we are growing or inquired about our needs for fertilizers and improved seed,” said one local farmer, Karim.  (Tolonews)