8 large cold storage facilities being established

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): Eight large cold storage facilities for fresh fruits are being constructed in six provinces and would be ready for use over the next 23 months, an official said on Sunday.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Mir Amanuddin Haideri, who inaugurated a fruits quality testing laboratory in Dehdai district of northern Balkh province, told Pajhwok Afghan News the ministry had intensified efforts at developing orchards and producing good quality fruits in the country.

He said a huge quantity of fruits was wasted as a result of a shortage of cold storage facilities in the country.

Haideri said the eight new storage facilities were being established at a cost of $28 million in Kabul, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Balkh, Kunduz and Herat provinces.

He said each facility would have the capacity of storing 5000 metric tonnes of fruits and hoped the facilities would help preserve a huge quantity of fruits from being wasted.

The official also said farmers had been issued loans amounting $30 million from the ministry’s fund in order to help them develop their fruit orchards and farming.

Balkh Agriculture Director Katib Shams said 481 new fruit orchards were established in the province this year over 60 acres of land.

He said Balkh needed cold storage facilities keeping in view the increasing number of fruit orchards.

He said 90 percent work on a cold storage facility in Balkh had been completed and the foundation stone of another cold storage having the capacity of storing 5000 metric tonnes of fruits had been laid.

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