Epidemic (plant)
Details
Event title
Afghanistan - Zabul fig growers say disease, closed trade routes hurt harvests
Source
Severity
Low
Event date (UTC)
2026-09-06 19:37:08
Last update (UTC)
2026-09-06 19:37:08
Area range
Multiple counties wide event
Address/Affected area(s)
Zabul Province
Fig growers in Zabul province told Amu TV that diseases have damaged their crops, while closed trade routes and high prices for agricultural treatments have compounded their losses and reduced their income.
Four growers said plant diseases have damaged this year’s harvest. They called on Taliban authorities to help provide effective, high-quality treatments and reopen trade routes so they can get their produce to market.
Rozi Mohammad told Amu TV that figs in his orchard had been damaged by two types of disease. He said the harvest had fallen so sharply that his earnings would not cover production costs.
“The fig orchard has been affected by two types of disease and is also facing a water shortage,” he said. “The harvest is not good, prices in the markets are low and the routes are closed. It does not even cover our expenses, including workers and storage. The treatment we bought did not help at all.”
He said growers also face high prices for agricultural treatments, poor-quality products and cheaper treatments being sold at inflated prices.
Mohammad Osman, who owns a neighboring orchard, said he planted his fig trees six years ago and had hoped for a strong harvest this year. Instead, he said, disease damaged the crop and left him unable to recover his expenses.
“We have spent 30,000 to 40,000 afghanis ($560 to $600) on this orchard,” Osman told Amu TV. “We have no other work throughout the year. This year, we also dug a deep well that cost 25,000 to 30,000 afghanis.”
Other growers said closed trade routes have made it difficult to get their produce to markets, leaving some harvests unsold. They called for access to standard, high-quality agricultural treatments as well as the reopening of trade routes.
“My request is that they help us,” said Sediqullah, a fig grower. “The harvest is not very good, and the orchard has been hit by disease. The authorities should provide us with treatments that we can use in our orchards.”
Saifullah, another grower, said farmers risk being left with unsold crops from one year to the next.