AFGHANISTAN
III.3. PRIMARY CROPS
III.3.1. IMPORTANT CROPS
A wide variety of crops are grown throughout Afghanistan. Wheat is grown in all areas. Tree fruits (apricot, almond, walnut, mulberry, etc.) and grapes are found everywhere. Some of the principal crops grown in different farming systems are shown in the table below. The crops are listed in approximate order of importance.
Table
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Important Crops Grown in Different Areas
Some knowledgeable Afghans (for example, A.R. Manan, formerly Research Director in the Ministry of Agriculture) cite mulberry as one of the primary fruit crops, grown by almost all farm families, but not included in the above table included in Sloane's comprehensive report. This may be due to the fact that mulberry trees are grown usually along boundaries/roads, instead of in orchards.
Table
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Comparative Area and Production of Main Cereal Crops
III.3.2. COMPARING PRODUCTIVITY
To look for trends in productivity, it is interesting to compare the figures in the above table on recent years, with the last pre-war-year data shown in the following table, prepared by Shamsher Siddiqi of ICARDA-Kabul.
Table
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Comparative Area and Production of Main Cereal Crops
III.4. CROPPING PATTERNS
III.4.1. WHEAT
Reportedly, 90% of wheat is fall-planted and 10% is spring-planted.
Some 80% of all wheat produced is said to come from irrigated lands, with only 20% coming from rainfed production. As shown in the previous table, the greater area is irrigated, and seeding rates are higher under irrigation.
The major part of wheat seed requirements thus must be of fall-planted varieties (winter wheat) adapted to irrigation.
In value of wheat to farmers, grain reportedly has 50% of the value, and the straw has an equal (50%) value. Despite its relatively low nutritive value, wheat straw is used as livestock feed. If a farmer runs out of fodder in the winter, supplies are very hard to find. It has even been reported that the high seeding rate is partially related to the need to produce straw.
III.4.2. BARLEY
Some 80% of barley is spring-planted, with only 20% fall-planted, as barley varieties are less cold-tolerant. Also, barley varieties grown are early-maturing, some 25 days before wheat harvest. Fall-planted barley, especially, is early, so birds attack it and cause heavy damage.
III.4.3. VEGETABLES
Reportedly, some 6% of the irrigated area is in vegetables, grown both for family consumption and sale of excess as a cash crop. Of the vegetables, melon, watermelon, onion, potato, and tomato are grown on 90% of the area planted to vegetables.
Some spices, such as cumin, are also grown.
Apparently, a number of wild herbals are used for traditional medicines. However, from our information, it appears that these are collected from the wild, not grown as cultivated plants.
III.4.4. FRUITS
Fruit orchard crops reportedly cover 10% of the irrigated area. Grapes, almond, apricot, pomegranate and apple occupy some 87% of the area devoted to fruits.
Reportedly, mulberry is a primary fruit crop, but is normally grown along boundaries, roads, etc. It is used both fresh and dried. Similarly, walnut is grown and is an important crop.
Fruits are used by the family, and sold as a cash crop.
III.5.1. CROPPING CALENDAR
The following cropping calendar lists, for different regions, the major crops and their primary planting and harvest dates. It should be kept in mind, however, that "each valley has a micro-climate that is different".
Table
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Cropping Calendar by Region: Dates of Planting and Harvest
