STORY: Carrots help grow economy in Afghanistan
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 8, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 18, 2025
LENGTH: 0:02:41
LOCATION: Kabul
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of carrot sellers in Kabul
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): SUBHAN, Carrot seller
3. various of carrot sellers in Kabul
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): MOHAMMAD HUSSAIN, Resident of Kabul
5. various of carrot sellers in Kabul

STORYLINE:

In the bustling streets of Kabul, 19-year-old Subhan and his four brothers sell carrots to support their family.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): SUBHAN, Carrot seller
"I sell 20 to 25 bags (175 kg) of carrots daily and earn between 800 and 1,000 Afghanis daily (about 8 to 14 U.S. dollars). These carrots are imported to Kabul from Kunduz and Kandahar provinces, and people use them to cook and make juice."

Carrots are considered one of the main vegetables in Afghanistan and agriculture is a major part of the country's rural economy.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): MOHAMMAD HUSSAIN, Resident of Kabul
"We use carrots in our various dishes, together with rice, and we also make juices and jams. Buying carrots will be good for farmers, sellers, and all of our compatriots, and if our produce is not exported abroad, people should buy it."

Afghanistan is one of the Asian countries that is most dependent on the agricultural sector. 

"Carrot cultivation and harvesting in Afghanistan in the 1403 solar year (in the Persian calendar the year 1403 started from March 20, 2024) has increased compared to last year. This year, about 9,000 hectares of land in 31 provinces of Afghanistan are under cultivation." Misbahuddin Mostain, head of information and public awareness of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock told to Xinhua.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kabul.
(XHTV)