This year, agriculture in Afghanistan's Balkh province, particularly watermelon and melon production, has surged several times compared to previous years. However, residents of Mazar-i-Sharif cannot afford to buy these fruits and other agricultural products due to a weak economy.
In a recent interview, Mazar-i-Sharif residents discussed the pressing issues they face. All fourteen districts of Balkh province are engaged in agriculture, but the local population are not reaching the economic benefits.
One farmer from Balkh shared that melons and watermelons are cheaper now than they have been in the past twenty years. In Afghanistan, melons are sold individually rather than by weight. Melons that used to sell for EUR 1.9 are now sold for 0.13–0.6 euros.
"This situation is unacceptable to me personally, as I took a loan of about 2,500 euros to invest in agriculture," he said.
Some melon traders in Mazar-i-Sharif also reported that while this year's melon harvest is very good, selling them is unprofitable, leading to concerns about further price drops for melons and watermelons.
Another local trader pointed out that Mazar-i-Sharif farmers could not cover their expenses this year and suffered losses. He added that supply exceeds demand by a large margin, with supply at 90 % and demand at only 10 %. The low price of melons is partly due to limited export options, with Pakistan being the only foreign market.
Source: daryo.uz