ECONOMY — June 17, 2026

Stink Bug Infestation Threatens Wheat and Barley Crops in Ghor Province

Farmers across several districts warn of major crop losses without additional aid, as the agriculture department's distribution of pesticides and traps continues on a limited scale.

The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Pajhwok2 min read

Stink Bug Infestation Threatens Wheat and Barley Crops in Ghor Province
Image courtesy Pajhwok

A widespread infestation of stink bugs is damaging wheat and barley crops across multiple districts of Ghor province. The pest has been reported in Al-Farooq, Charsadda, Allahyar, Murghab, Shahrak, Tolak and additional areas, with visible harm to standing crops.

Farmers say they cannot afford to purchase pesticides and have warned of major yield losses without prompt government assistance. They described the situation as urgent and called for expanded support to protect this season's harvest.

The Ghor Department of Agriculture has deployed technical teams to affected districts and distributed limited supplies of pesticides and pest-control traps along with usage guidance. Spokesman Zia-ul-Haq Joya confirmed the pest's spread and stated that current control measures remain insufficient to fully contain the outbreak.

Read the original reporting at Pajhwok

Reliability assessment

Single source provides direct on-record attribution from named provincial agriculture spokesman Zia-ul-Haq Joya along with named farmers and specific district-level details on locations and response measures

The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Pajhwok: "significant crop losses could occur if urgent measures are not taken", "our fields will be ruined", "farmers will suffer heavy losses" — these phrases use alarmist warnings and emotional appeals to urgency and poverty to frame the situation as an impending crisis requiring immediate action.

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EconomyStink bugs, Ghor province, Wheat crops, Agriculture, Pest infestation

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