Turkey has provided at least 20,000 saplings to Afghanistan to support the agriculture sector in the country, an official said on Monday.

The aid includes apple, pear and quince saplings and is planned to be distributed to relevant departments in Maidan Wardak, Paktia, Panjshir and Logar provinces, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock.

Some of the saplings will be distributed to Kabul, Parwan and Panjshir universities, officials said. 

“The saplings were farmed by the Turkish Fruit Seedling Research Institute,” said a representative of a Turkish organization responsible for the delivery of the aid.

This comes as the Islamic Emirate on Sunday announced a strict ban on poppy production and vowed to provide alternative plans for farmers who used to cultivate poppy in their fields.

The acting agriculture minister, Abdul Rahman Rashid, said there is a need for the international community’s support to the agriculture sector in Afghanistan. 

“The ban on poppy production is good news for the world,” he said. “We call on the international community to help us as we need to be self-reliant in agriculture.”

The Turkish ambassador in Kabul, Cihad Erginay, said Ankara will continue its support to the agriculture sector in Afghanistan. 

“The agriculture sector is our priority because it creates jobs, as well as it will lead Afghanistan towards self-reliance and will boost the economy,” he said.