The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock stated that China will construct three standard cold storage facilities with a capacity of 1,500 tons each for preserving fresh fruits and vegetables in Afghanistan.
Misbahuddin Mustaeen, the ministry’s spokesperson, said that during a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, some Chinese diplomats announced that technical engineers from China would be sent to Afghanistan to establish these cold storage facilities.
According to Mustaeen, these cold storage facilities will be built in the provinces of Kabul, Takhar, and Badakhshan.
Meanwhile, some experts, considering Afghanistan’s need for standard cold storage facilities, regard this initiative by China as beneficial for preventing the spoilage of the country’s fresh fruits and vegetables.
Shamsurrahman Ahmadzai, an economic affairs expert, stated: “If standard cold storage facilities are built in this sector, they can protect their fresh fruits and vegetables from spoilage in the future, and farmers will be able to export their products to other countries on time.”
Qutbuddin Yaqubi, another economic affairs expert, said: “Agricultural cold storage facilities in Afghanistan can play a significant and essential role in preventing the wastage of agricultural products, preserving their quality, improving farmers’ conditions, and ensuring the availability of fruits and vegetables throughout the year in the country.”
Afghanistan is one of the agricultural countries where a large portion of agricultural products is lost annually due to various challenges, including a lack of standard cold storage facilities, the absence of specific markets for selling agricultural products, and the closure of border crossings with neighboring countries.