Afghanistan's sweet and delicious fruits

North-eastern Afghanistan is one such region that produces some of the sweetest mulberries. However, the real value underlying this region’s mulberry trade is the sense of belonging and unity it promotes among the people from different areas.
Haji Abdul Shakoor is a mulberry vendor in Kapisa. He says the beautiful mountains, the weather, and the orchards in the province attract people from many different places and ethnic backgrounds to this place of natural abundance.
“Customers come to my shop to taste different kinds of fruits. They start admiring the sweetness of fruits, later leading to frank chats. I have seen many times that complete strangers end up as friends,” Shakoor said.
Qari Abdul Wodood, another shopkeeper and mulberry seller in Kapisa, also noted that he has created lots friendships while serving berries to the visitors from all over Afghanistan.
“I have noticed people from different provinces striking up conversations and exchanging phone numbers. I now have friends from Herat to Khost and Kunduz. I think we were all brought together by the peace prevailing in many parts of the country,” Wodood said.

Hospitality is a well-known trait of the Afghan people. Matin Wafa, a youth from Kapisa, explained to Sada-e Azadi magazine that building friendly relations with people from all over the country is one way to bind it together and promote unity across provinces and regions.

“It may sound simple, but I see the hospitality exchanged between people over a sweet fruit. I think small common bonds can unite the different ethnicities of our country. It really pleases me to see different groups of people joined together, enjoying their time in the gardens,” he said.Mulberry farming in eastern Afghanistan is over 500 years old. Mohammad Naiem Mohammadi, an agricultural expert, said that a man named Sher Khan brought mulberries from Badakhshan to Parwan, Kapisa and Panjshir. The suitable weather here plays a key role in the mulberry harvest, which is very sweet and tasty.