Upgrading folk’s interest in cotton cultivation in Balkh

Saratan 20: July 10, 2021
With construction of 40 hectares of cotton display parts via Support to National Priority Program 2 (SNaPP2), related to Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) in Balkh province, the interest of residents of this province has been increased in cotton cultivation.
(SNaPP2) program of MAIL,  during Sawar ( MAY ) of this year, has distributed 1.4 metric tons of cotton seeds of modified varieties "CD-401" and "Akala 99-17-15" for the construction of two hundred cotton displays on 40 hectares of land in Nahrshahi districts Dehdadi, Shulgara, Balkh, Dawlatabad, Chahar Bolak and Chamtal districts and  200 farmers benefited from it.
The purpose of creating display parts is to promote improved variety of cotton, capacity building of farmers in land preparation, standard and modern agricultural use of land, prevention of various pests and diseases of cotton plant and comparison of traditional and modern cultivation.
Cotton, which is known as white gold in the world, is one of the most profitable vegetable products in Afghanistan after saffron that is why people are more interested in growing and producing cotton in Balkh province.
In-order to let the farmers know about the standard methods and correct picking and collection, packaging and marketing of this valuable plant, technical training program is going to be held  for farmers in field of preparing the substrate, methods of weed control and pests and diseases and cotton collection. And private sector of (SNaPP2) will also distribute cotton harvesters to cotton growers.
That’s is why an agreement is signed between cotton growers and companies purchasing cotton. According to this agreement, the collected cotton by these 200 peasants are bought by companies in excess of the market day price.