Strategic grain reserve inaugurated in Kabul

KABUL’s first Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) in Kabul.

The warehouse complex, which can hold up to 22,000 metric tons of wheat, was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Mohammad Asif Rahimi and Claude Jibidar, WFP Country Director for Afghanistan.

Funded mainly by Australia, the $ 7.7 million facility is located near Kabul’s grain silo. The completion of the facility represents the first phase of a country-wide SGR initiative, involving the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Bank.

A WFP statement said the initiative sought to rehabilitate and build infrastructure to hold 200,000 MT of food. In times of emergency, this would be enough to assist about two million people for up to six months.

Speaking on the occasion, Rahimi said: “I am pleased to see the establishment of the Strategic Grain Reserve. This first facility will alleviate the hunger of many vulnerable people in Afghanistan, often affected by emergencies like droughts or recent floods, to which this country is prone.”

In the next phase of the nationwide project, WFP is seeking about $20 million to build additional facilities to store up to 40,000 MT of wheat in the capital and other key cities, including Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, Pul-i-Khumri, and Kandahar City.

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