HERAT CITY (PAN’s first cashmere dehairing facility, which is expected to boost future Afghan cashmere exports, has been inaugurated in western province of Herat.
The Herati Cashmere and Skin-Processing Plant would process more than 400 kilograms of raw cashmere each day through its line of five dehairers, the USAID said on Sunday.
USAID Senior Development Officer Jim Wright said at the inaugural ceremony on Saturday: “The Herati Cashmere and Skin Processing Plant is a true success story of advancing the economy in Afghanistan, and serves as a model for many future Afghan entrepreneurs.”
Abdul Basir Hotak, owner of the processing plant, purchased the equipment with the assistance of USAID and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock.
Most of Afghanistan’s cashmere is currently exported in a raw state, selling for $35 per kilogram. With the new machines, the processed cashmere can now sell in foreign markets for $120 a kilogram.
In 2010 and 2011, the US agency helped to link Afghan cashmere traders with international buyers by supporting the traders’ participation in USAID-organised international trade missions in Tajikistan, China, Hong Kong and the United States on cashmere, fibers and skins.
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