Pomegranate production in Afghanistan facts for kids
Pomegranates are a very important fruit in Afghanistan. They help a lot with the country's farming and economy. Many provinces like Kandahar, Helmand, Wardak, Ghazni, Paktia, Farah, Kapisa, and Balkh grow pomegranates. This fruit provides a way for thousands of people to earn a living. Afghanistan is even called "the country of the pomegranate fruit" because of how it's grown and the special local types found there.
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A Look Back: Pomegranate History in Afghanistan
Some plant experts think that Afghanistan is where pomegranates first came from. It has more kinds of pomegranate trees than anywhere else in the world.
Since the 1970s, problems and wars made it hard for Afghanistan to sell its pomegranates. This especially affected sales to its biggest buyers in Pakistan and India.
After the war, the pomegranate business in Afghanistan started to grow again. In 2009, many hundreds of thousands of pomegranate trees were planted. The country exported about 50,000 tons of the fruit that year. In October 2009, a large juice factory was built in Kabul. This factory makes juice concentrate from the fruit. This made pomegranates more valuable. Since 2009, the price for pomegranates in local markets went up a lot.
In 2010, a new trade deal was signed between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This deal, called the Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, lets Afghan traders send their farm products by road to markets in India. They can use the Wagah border crossing.
However, in October 2010, reports said that fighting in Kandahar province was hurting farms. Farmers found it hard to work because of the war.
Global Interest: Why Other Countries Want Afghan Pomegranates
More and more countries are wanting pomegranates from Afghanistan. In 2010, Afghanistan started selling its fruit to a big French store called Carrefour in Dubai. Afghan pomegranates are often bigger, redder, and juicier. This created competition for pomegranates from Turkey and North Africa. Carrefour also started selling Afghan pomegranates in its other stores in the Middle East.
In March 2010, a British company named Pomegreat made a big deal. They agreed to buy pomegranate juice worth £3 million from an Afghan company called Omaid Bahar. This Afghan company runs the new fruit processing plant in Kabul. This company helps about 50,000 Afghan farmers earn money.
Even with this growing interest, the global demand for Afghan pomegranates is still quite new. For example, most pomegranates sold in the U.S. come from places like the San Joaquin Valley, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, and Mexico.
Amazing Qualities: What Makes Afghan Pomegranates Special?
Pomegranates have many good things for your health. They have high levels of antioxidants. These help protect your body's cells from damage. Pomegranates are also said to help protect against some types of cancer and can lower blood pressure.
Afghan pomegranates are often bigger, sweeter, and redder than pomegranates from other places. The USAID once said, "These are the best pomegranates you'll ever see in your life, they are the biggest, they are the reddest and they taste great."
People in Europe and North Africa are eating more pomegranates. They like them for being a healthy food and for their juicy, sweet taste. USAID also said that pomegranates grown near the Khulm River in northern Afghanistan are "the finest in Afghanistan." Adam Pritchard, the head of Pomegreat, called the Afghan pomegranate "the best in the world." He also said Afghanistan is their "spiritual home." Pomegranates are the second most important fruit grown in Afghanistan, after grapes.
Where Pomegranates Grow: Production Areas
The main place where pomegranates are grown is in the Kandahar Province. Here, over 800 hectares of land are used for growing pomegranates. The Dand and Arghandab districts in this province also grow a lot of pomegranates per hectare.
The type of pomegranate grown in Kandahar is known as the "jumbo, ruby-red Kandahari" variety. There is also a seedless type called Badana. This type is good for eating fresh or for making into juice.
Yearly Celebration: The Pomegranate Fair
Because pomegranates are so popular and in demand for export, Afghanistan holds an annual World Pomegranate Fair. This event brings together many different people. It's a place for farmers, buyers, and companies that handle packaging, shipping, and cold storage. Experts on pomegranate growing and processing, equipment sellers, and government groups also attend. This fair helps to show off "the Afghan pomegranate industry." It creates new business chances and helps the people of Afghanistan. Pomegranate harvesting usually happens from late September through November.
