Afghanistan has potential for fruit production due to its diverse climate and status as a center of genetic diversity. However, fruit production faces many challenges, including traditional agricultural practices, low soil fertility, lack of irrigation, and low yields. The top fruits produced are grapes, almonds, apricots, apples, and pomegranates. To overcome challenges and harness potential, strategies like improved varieties, proper orchard establishment, irrigation, and capacity building are needed. Case studies on pomegranate and almonds show they are promising exports, but also face issues like biotic and abiotic stresses. Overall, with development of infrastructure, technologies, and processing, fruit production could provide better livelihoods.

2. TOPIC
Potential and challenges of fruit production
in Afghanistan
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3. General Information
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MAIL,Afghanistan

4. Cereals 59%
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General Information
FAOSTAT, 2003

5. Map of Afghanistan based on fruit zone
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Northeast zone
North Zone
Northwest Zone
Southeast Zone
Central Zone
Southwest Zone

6. Fruit Production in Afghanistan
Crop Area
(ha)
Production
(ton)
Afghan
Prodty
(t/ha)
India’s
Prodty
(t/ha)
World prodty
(t/ha)
Almond 13469 62000 4.5 - 1.1
Apple 9148 70000 7.6 6.8 15.7
Apricot 8350 83500 10 3.6 8
Fig 2056 8224 4 3.4 2.8
Pears 225 3000 13.3 8.8 14.5
Pistachio 1800 2000 1.1 - 2
Plum 3826 28700 7.5 7.9 4.2
Walnut 2317 14002 6 1.2 3.4
Peach 1882 15997 8.5 6.6 14
Grapes 61,690 590,065 9.5 11.07 9.6
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FAOSTATUS,2012

7. Fresh Fruit Production in Afghanistan
Commodities Area (ha) Production (tons) Productivity
(t/ha)
2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2013/14
Apricot 8,320 8,350 8,767 49,920 83,500 89,345 10.19
Grape 61,558 61,690 64,774 492,774 590,000 631,300 9.74
Figs 2,056 2,056 2,056 8,220 8,224 9,869 4.8
Plum 3,800 3,826 4,017 30,400 31,920 34,154 8.50
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, irrigation and Livestock and Afghanistan Statistical Year book Production data
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8. Afghan Export Dried Fruit (Raisin, Apricot, Plum)
(Except Pakistan)
Country Unit MY 2011/12 MY
2012/13
First 9
months
MY 2013/14
India MT 7,942 23,126 5,667
Russia MT 12,264 9,336 5,682
Belarus MT 1,397 582 425
Ukraine MT 603 548 0
Kazakhsta
n
MT 1,169 437 437
EU MT 4,277 1,705 809
United
State
MT 233 387 222
Other MT 581 252 377
Total MT 28,466 26,373 13,619
Source: Global Trade Information
System
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10. Causes of low productivity (Challenges)
• Agriculture in general is traditional
• Fruit plants are generally grown on;
– Marginal lands with low soil fertility (low
OC)
– Under rainfed conditions (low rainfall)
• Low productivity and lesser percentage of
Improved varieties
• Lack of modern orchard equipment
• Lack of bud wood banks for orchard
improvements
• Lack of irrigation facilities
• More then 95.9% of fruit orchards are
planted with different fruit crops
• Less or lack management of technical
standard in horticulture crops.
Prevalence of
disease
19%
Lack of
Irrigation
18%
Prevalence of
Insect
17%
Lack of
Improved
Fruit Var
14%
Lack of
Farmers
Cooperatives
18%
Lack of
Improved
Vegetable
Var
14%
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FAO,2003

11. • Poor extension services
• Incidence of diseases/insect pests etc.
• Lack of market information and No coordination between
farmer and market
• Lack of proper transportation facilities
• Lack of cold storage and processing companies
• Non-availability of machinery/tools for fertilizer/ manure
application, harvesting and asexual propagation
• less information on Post harvest management and
technology
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12. Causes and losses of apples during different practices by farmers from
harvest to consumption
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Mohammad Masood,2011

13. Strength in Potential of fruit production in Afghanistan
Climatic condition
Unique center of genetic diversity
High demand for Afghan production in the market
More income as compared to crops
Source: January 2003 , (ICARDA)
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14. Strategies to over come the problem
• Modernization of agriculture
• Use of improved varieties for orchards
• Proper site selection and designing of orchards technically
• Use of proper irrigation systems
• Establishment of bud wood banks of superior genotypes/tissue culture for
scion multiplication
• Specification of orchards for specific fruits
• Capacity building of staff who are involved in agriculture/ fruit crops and
gardeners
• Integrated pest management with emphasis on biological control and bio-
pesticides
• Proper harvesting materials and time in consideration to the market
• Providing trainings to the farmers on post harvest management practices
• Establishment of cold storages & development of processing companies
• Training on pests and diseases to the agriculture engaged staff and farmers
• Establishment of producers associations and Market linkages
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15. CASE STUDY-I
Pomegranate is the most potential fruit crop of Afghanistan.
 Earning foreign exchange through export to Pakistan, Russia, India, Arabic
countries.
48 cultivars are commercially grown.
20 cvs. Sweet, 17- medium sweet and 11- sour.
Fruit TSS is 14-19 °brix
Low temperature injury reported from Balkh province.
Fruit cracking and sun scald is also a major problem.
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18. Afghanistan is considered the country of pomegranate bcz of excellent quality of cultivars.
It is the land of 48- leading world cultivars commonly grown in Kandahar, Kapisa, Samangan,
Farah, Nemroz and Bulkh provinces.
Kandahar is the historical place of pomegranate growing.
It ranks 5th
after grapes, almonds, apricot and apple.
Average yield 8.6 t/ha (Dand) to 19.0 t/ha (Arghandab); Kandahar (10 t/ha).
Kandhari grown at 550-1000 m asl.
It is an ideal fresh fruit to export as they come in a tough outer rind and have good storage
properties.
So it is considered as one of the most promising crop for economic upliftment of growers.
Major problems:
lack of irrigation facilities
Small land holdings
Poor nutrient management
Poor management of insect, pest and disease
Poor postharvest management.
Lack of credit facility.
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22. CASE STUDY-II
Almond is the source of richness in Afghanistan.
Almond is the most important nut grown in the regions of Kondoz,
Takhar, Balkh, Baghlan, Heart and Samangan.
Mostly exported to India and Pakistan.
All most all the genotypes are native.
In this study 67- genotypes were collected are best ones of regions.
Most of them (nuts) were white in colour.
2- genotypes collected with >2 g kernel weight.
Some selections were found higher in unsaturated fatty acid and more
than ‘Non-Pariel’.
The almond genotypes found significant variability for the horticultural
traits.
Therefore, these have important potential for almond breeders worldwide.
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23. Potential of Almond Germplasm
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25. Conclusion
• In present scenario fruit production is a real challenge
facing a number of problems like…..
• However, we have a greater potential to harness the
available natural as well genetic reduces by producing
quality fruit production particularly grapes for raisin
making, dried almonds & walnuts, dried apricot and fig and
pomegranate, which have been the native crop and highly
suitable to grow for better livelihood.
• This can be achieved by development of suitable
infrastructure, introduction of new varieties and
technologies as well as processing industries.
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26. Future Thrust
• Immediate need for human resource development.
• Strengthening of educational and basic research
institutions.
• Research on crop improvement and production
technology development for enhancing the
productivity on priority crops.
• Generation of basic information about the fruit
production in Afghanistan
• Introduction of efficient input use technologies like
fertigation.
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27. Thanks