Business
Gov’t Blamed for Failure to Find Markets for Afghan Fresh Fruit
The Afghan government has made little effort to find markets for fresh fruits being produced in the country, an official said on Wednesday.
Ahmad Tawfiq Dawari, Deputy Head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), told Ariana News that if government purchases fresh fruits, which are produced in the country, it would boost the economy of our farmers.
Currently, fresh fruits are sold cheaply within domestic markets, while large amount of fruit spoils every year due to the lack of standard refrigeration.
Mr. Dawari reasoned that the current situation could be changed if government procures domestic products, especially fruits for use by governmental institutions such as Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Hospitals, Hostels, and other government-related institutions.
“By doing this, our farmers will be encouraged and it will be a good source of income for our country and the agriculture sector will improve,” said Hakimullah Sediqqi, an economic expert.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), Afghanistan is a fertile country that produces about 1.5 million tons of fresh fruits per year.
Last year, officials said the government is trying to build standard cold storage facilities to extend the lifespan of the country’s fruit, but farmers still suffer due to the absence of cold storage capacity.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said Thursday it has signed cooperation agreements with ten institutions to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, said: “In the implementation of projects, we must pay special attention to our activities and actions and try to make useful use of the projects according to the requirements and benefit the beneficiaries.”
These ten institutions are to present their projects, the total value of which is around over $1.1 million. The projects will be carried out in Kabul, Baghlan, Ghor, Herat, Logar, Nangarhar, Balkh, Badakhshan and Jawzjan provinces and provide direct jobs for about 1,000.
To date, the ministry has signed MoUs for 72 projects in total, collectively valued at about $53.6 million.
These agreements have been signed with domestic and foreign companies for the establishment of small and medium-sized businesses.
In accordance with the principles and laws of the Islamic Emirate and prioritizing the implementation of projects for immigrants and returnees and internally displaced people, the ministry said 635,865 people will benefit through jobs directly and over 4.3 million will benefit indirectly in 25 provinces once these projects are implemented.
The National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) confirmed Tuesday that in the last month of solar year 1402, (March 2024) Afghanistan’s exports totaled $141.1 million and imports totaled $789.6 million.
This was down from $174 million for exports in the same period in 1401. However, imports increased by $99.2 million in 1402, up from $690.4 million.
Most exports in the last month of 1402 went to Pakistan, India and the United Arab Emirates, while in the last month of 1401 exports went to Pakistan, India and China.
The Ministry of Interior said the governor of Herat province Islam Jar met with Alim Khan Yasin Gildaye, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Afghanistan, to discuss various issues around trade.
According to the ministry, the two sides discussed the expansion of trade facilities, increasing the volume of trade exchanges between traders of the two countries, reducing customs tariffs, solving the challenges of traders and issuing visas to them.
The Afghanistan-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce has been opened in Herat in order to facilitate and increase trade between the two countries.
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