Pine nut production has increased by 12 percent this crop year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said on Sunday.

Around 24,000 tonnes of pine nuts were produced in Afghanistan this year. Last year, 23,000 tonnes pine nuts were produced in the country, the ministry said.
Pine nuts trees are in nine provinces of the country including Khost, Paktia, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan, Kapisa and Kabul, and cover 44,000 hectares of land.
In Khost and Paktia alone, 40,000 are working on harvest of pine nuts and related activities.
Pine nuts are among Afghanistan’s key export items and have demand in 16 countries.
The ministry said that Afghanistan has the potential to produce between 23,000 and 35,000 tonnes of pine nuts annually.
More than 8,000 walnut and pine nut forests were rehabilitated this year, it said.