Oilseeds Crop Cultivation Project Launched in Kandahar

An oilseeds crop cultivation project has been launched on 550 acres of land in Kandahar.

This marks the first time such a project is being implemented in the province, following research conducted jointly by Afghan and Turkish experts.

The project involves the cultivation of plants such as sunflowers, which contain over 50% oil content.

Officials say the implementation of such initiatives will not only support farmers but also boost domestic edible oil production.
Sadr e Azam Osmani, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, stated: “I assure you that the Islamic Emirate and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock are committed to strengthening the country’s agricultural sector and making it fully self-reliant.”

Fazil Akin Erdogan, a representative of Turkey’s TIKA Foundation in Kandahar, said: “Very soon we will begin seeing positive results from the seeds imported from Turkey. In the second phase, we plan to start oil production in Kandahar based on the yield from this cultivation.”

Farmers, in turn, are calling on the Islamic Emirate and international aid organizations to support them not only with improved seeds, but also by helping them find markets for their harvests.

Mohammad Dawood, a farmer in Kandahar, said: “The government has now banned poppy and other narcotic crops that we used to grow. We’ve shifted to alternative crops, and we ask the government to help us with both improved seeds and marketing of our products, especially for the farmers of Panjwayi district.”

Another farmer, Dawood Shah, added: “We urgently need improved seeds and chemical fertilizers. Our irrigation systems also require repair. We need support in order to achieve good harvests.”

The project has a total investment of $150,000, and the cultivated plants will also be distributed to other provinces across the country for promotional and expansion purposes, in addition to southern Afghanistan.