Pistachios 'green gold' coveted by Taliban

Raiders illegally harvest up to 40 percent of crop

Afghanistan takes pride in its world-class pistachios, but with looters harvesting the nuts well before maturity, fears are growing that the Taliban and local strongmen are depriving the war-battered country of much-needed export income.

Pistachios are not ripe for the picking until late July, but raiders rushed the forests earlier this month and, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, illegally harvested up to 40 percent of the country's still-green crop.