PARAKH (PAN): Most of Panjshir residents are though government employees, a number of people are associated with the occupation of agriculture, trade and business of precious stones.   
The province has lack of cultivable land but most of the families are associated with the occupation of agriculture and farmland.
Farmers’ community of Panjshir export apple, apricot mulberry and potatoes to other provinces. Before construction of cold storage facilities for agro crops, the farmers used to sell their products on throw away prices but now they get huge amount in exchange of their crops.
Agriculture: 
Panjshir officials said though the province has small cultivable land, a lot of work had been done to facilitate the growers’ community.
Abdul Khurumi, head of Panjshir rural rehabilitation and development, said his department helped constructed water-channels and protecting walls to facilitate the farmers of the province.
A large number of people are economically depending on their agriculture and farmland, he said, adding cold storage had been built for the farmers to keep their fruits fresh for long.
Abdul Moeed Waziri, head of Panjshir agriculture department said though much had been done to promote the agriculture sector, however, the sector was still facing some sort of challenges.
Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, he complained his province was not being provided with refined seeds and fertilizers with the needed amount by the central government.
He said his department was facing shortage of employees, which should be resolved without further delay.
But Waziri Said, despite multiple problems they assisted farmers with provision of refined seeds and building two livestock clinics, adding they planted 15 acres forest to facilitate the residents.
In addition, they distributed 4,000 saplings among farmers and set up numerous orchards elsewhere in the province. 
Rwaka Rahmani, a farmer from the Rukha district said he was cultivating potatoes on his land and then exporting to Panjshir and Parwan provinces to earn more in return.
Ahmad Reshad, a resident of Hesa Awal locality and member of the provincial development council said Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development had established cold storages in a move to keep the agriculture crops safe and fresh.
Farmers were selling their products including apples, apricots, mulberry and potatoes in Kabul and other provinces on throw away prices but the cold storages facilities had helped them to export their products to other areas to earn more money in return.
Murtaza, another farmer from the province said the construction of cold storages benefited farmers’ community to great extent. Previously their fresh fruits were getting spoiled but now they put them in cold storages and sell later with good prices.
Abdul Kabir Wasiq, provincial governor’s spokesman said considerable progress had been made in the province in terms of reconstruction but the infrastructural projects were not sufficient.
Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, he said the province had small cultivable land and the government should introduce measures to facilitate and encourage the growers’ community.
Mohammad Yaqoob Baya, a resident of Anabi district said though they had small agriculture land, the government did not extend any help to facilitate the farmers. “No one has extended them with refined seeds and fertilizers,” he complained.
Commerce:
The economy of most of the Panjshir residents is dependent on fresh fruits, vegetables and business of precious stones.
Abdul Ghayyas Baya, a resident of Panjshir central city said the government had introduced a number of steps to facilitate the traders and business community. He said the government had helped them in building cold storage and warehouses, which helped to keep their agriculture related products fresh and safe.
Muhammad Issa, a businessman in Panjshir said they used to buy fresh fruits and potatoes from the local farmers and then to sell them in Parwan and Kabul.
The business of the traders is flourishing. They buy the products from the farmers and thus earn their livelihood, he noted.
Emerald, rubies and other mines of precious stones are abundant elsewhere in Panjshir, he said, adding people were excavating the mines illegally and in a non professional way.
Experts said that digging of mines in a non technical way left precious stones wasted, he remarked.
Eng. Abdul Jabbar Naeemi, deputy governor of Panjsher said the Char localities and Khanj district were abundant in emerald stones, adding that due to its high quality, the emerald of Panjshir had huge prices in the international market.
On the other hand, a large number of Panjshir people were government employees, which were a sole source of income for them and their families.