Third Potato Blossoms Festival Held in Bamyan

The third festival of potato flower was held in Bamyan province in presence of thousands of citizens in the center of the province.

The festival was attended by Agriculture Minister Nasir Ahmad Durrani, Mohammad Taher Zahir, provincial governor, local officials, civil society members, farmers, journalists, cultural activists, and other residents of the province.

Mohammad Taher Zahir, provincial governor, in the opening ceremony of the festival said that potato flower festival has economic as well as cultural importance, adding that “Bamyan’s Potato Flower Festival will provide a platform for the marketing of potatoes.”

Mr. Zahir added that in the past the production and cultivation of potato was considered disgrace but fortunately with the launching of the festivals, the economic importance and significance of potato has been reflected. He said, “Farmers have been encouraged to grow potato and are proud to grow it. People’s and farmers’ attention to the cultivation of potato has increased. The potato fields have increased over the past two and three years.”

Bamyan governor said lots of projects have been implemented for the potato cultivation in the agriculture sector, resulting in increase of income and production level of potato in the province.

Thanking Minister Durrani for paying attention to agriculture and horticulture in Bamyan province for over the past two years, Mr. Zahir said that over the past two years, attention has been paid to the implementation of agricultural projects, adding that coordination and cooperation between agricultural partner agencies have increased. The governor also called for increased implementation of agricultural projects in the province.

Addressing the festival Nasir Ahmad Durrani said, “In the course of the year, the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget to Bamyan has increased from 220 million AFN to 420 million AFN.”

In the course of the year, the Ministry of Agriculture's budget to Bamyan has increased from 220 million AFN to 420 million AFN. "

Durrani also said that in addition to 200 budget increase, horticulture value chain project, which will be implemented in ten provinces during three years, will start from Bamyan.

Durrani also said, “Our main goal is to provide resources with the private sector and provide up to 50 percent financial assistance and 100 percent technical assistance to them to invest in certain sectors of production, namely potato.”

Durrani also said, “ In the course of the year, the Ministry of Agriculture will provide a loan of 180 million AFN for Bamyan farmers but in the coming year will try to provide a loan of 200 million AFN for 2,000 Bamyan farmers.”

Shah Hussain Murtazavi, cultural advisor to President Ghani, also addressed the festival saying, “The president over the past five years focused more on internal resources of the provinces and tried to elicit the hidden resources and capacities of different provinces. Among them, we can name pine nuts, saffron, potato, pistachio, and almond, each of which has important value in local and international markets.

It should be noted that the third festival of potato flower was held more splendidly than the previous years with entertaining programs, food display made of potato, and other agricultural products of the province.