The interest of Herat peasants in cultivation of beetroots

Shafiq Noori
Herat province Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Officials report a 12.5 percent increase in beetroot crops this year whereas the peasants of Herat demanded the Ministry of Agriculture to coordinate them to extend the cultivation area of beetroot and its production.
Bashir Ahmad Ahmadi, the head of Agricultural affairs of Herat province, confirmed the deficiency of cultivation area and production of beetroot in Herat and he said, “This year, the cultivation area and production of beetroot in this province has reached 327 hectares and the production level has reached 5559 metric tons. According to lack of industrial utilization of this crop, the Agriculture Department has done no activity in this section, but according to peasants’ interests, we are ready to co-operate them.
Nevertheless, we obtained 4860 metric ton beet in 308 hectares last year. This year, according to well-conditioned temperature and peasants’ interest, the production reached 12.5% increase compared to last year.
Meanwhile, the beetroot peasants of this province are satisfied of beet cultivation and its obtained crops. Abdulzahir, a farmar from Gazrah district of Herat province who has gained 10 tons beet in 2 acres area, said, “We cultivated the sugar beet which had been distributed by the cooperatives since 1978, afterward revolution happened. Currently, we have been cultivating beetroot since 2016. We obtain its crops twice a year which the first period produces a better result than the second period, and we sell each package of 7 kilos about 50 afgs to 70 afgs.
Abdulzahir demanded the Ministry of Agriculture to help them promote the beetroot cultivation distributing reformed seeds and chemical fertilizers.
Abdulqaiom, another peasant, said, “The cultivation of beetroot is effortless and productive. We would earn more if there were a company to produce sugar using Herat peasants’ beetroot.”
The sugar and forage breeds are mostly cultivated in Anjil and Gazrah districts of Herat province which sugar beet is used for human feed and forage beet is used for animals feed.