Afghanistan sees record pine nut harvest, workers struggle as prices drop

KHOST, Afghanistan, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- In the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan, where ancient pine forests whisper secrets to the wind, a bountiful harvest has arrived like a fleeting blessing.

Once a rare delicacy that enchanted discerning palates in distant countries, Afghanistan's prized pine nuts have flourished this season in unprecedented abundance.

However, for families clinging to survival in a land scarred by decades of havoc, these nuts represent not sustenance, but dreams deferred.

Jahed, a weathered laborer from eastern Paktia province, embodies the quiet resilience of those drawn to this seasonal lifeline.

Each year, as the harvest beckons, he journeys to Khost city, the bustling provincial capital of Khost province, where he toils from dawn's first light until dusk. He is the sole provider for his wife and six children, a family depending on his calloused hands. "We arrive here in the morning and work until six in the evening," Jahed told Xinhua.

Earning a meager 200 to 300 afghanis (about 3 to 4.45 U.S. dollars) per day, barely enough to stave off hunger, he laments the paradox of plenty: "This year, the yield has increased significantly, but prices have plummeted." Yet, in the rhythm of the season, Jahed discovers glimmers of joy. "With the arrival of the pine nut harvest, my family and I are overjoyed," he said.

These pine nuts, born wild and untamed in Afghanistan's eastern hilltops, flourish naturally across the eastern provinces, including Khost.

Their forests, perched on unforgiving slopes, yield a crop that sustains communities long isolated by geography and conflict. Ahmad, a seasoned pine nut factory owner in Khost with a decade of experience under his belt, oversees a team of 30 workers amid the hum of processing machines. "Compared to previous years, the yield has increased manifold," he said.

Delving into the nuances of quality, Ahmad explains the subtle artistry of nature: "Pine nuts from warm mountainous regions are sparse in seed, while those from colder highlands are plump and full; traders overwhelmingly prefer the latter."

With 13 years of wisdom and an intimate knowledge of market ebbs and flows, Haji Shahzad, head of Khost's Pine Nuts Traders Union, credits the surge, a threefold increase, to nature's benevolence and human toil: timely monsoon rains, balmy weather, and the unyielding dedication of farmers. "The harvest from pine nut forests this year is three times higher than last year," Shahzad told Xinhua.

During the harvest's feverish peak, over 100,000 people across the forested provinces immerse themselves in the labor of cleaning, processing, and packaging, a symphony of hands transforming raw bounty into hope.

Yet, in patriarchal Afghanistan, particularly its rural heartlands, where traditions run deep like ancient roots, women's voices often remain veiled.

Zharghona, a diligent worker in a Khost processing factory, quietly challenges this silence. Reluctant to share her real name or speak directly with strangers, she finds purpose in the intricate, traditional art of hand-cleaning pine nuts. "Each day, I clean one or two sacks," she said softly, her hands moving with rhythmic grace.

With her earnings, she buys tea, sugar, and grain, simple treasures that nourish her family and affirm her worth in a world that rarely celebrates her.

In Zharghona's story, as in Jahed's, lies the essence of Afghanistan's pine nut harvest, a tapestry of endurance where abundance meets inequity, and every seed carries the weight of human aspiration.■