Kandahar — Mushroom farming, which can require relatively little space and water, is becoming a new source of income for some farming families in Afghanistan's Kandahar province. According to TOLOnews, 50 mushroom farms have been established with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the Khakrez and Arghistan districts.
Provincial agriculture officials say the crop requires comparatively little labour and may be harvested two or three times a month. One farmer interviewed in the report said he earns approximately 12,000 afghanis a month from his farm; that figure should not be treated as the average income across all farms.
Other farmers are calling for similar training and support. Specialists say the benefits of small farms depend on reliable spawn supplies, skills, hygiene, market access and regular buyers.
The development reflects a local experiment rather than the condition of Afghanistan's entire agricultural sector.