200 raisin-processing plants being installed in 9 provinces

KABUL Ministry’s National Horticulture and Livestock Project (NHLP), officials said on Tuesday.

Khadim Hussein Hamdam, NHLP coordinator, told Pajhwok Afghan News the plants were aimed at producing good-quality raisins and boosting the income of farmers across the country.

Grapes and raisins are two important exports of Afghanistan and are largely produced in central, northern, northeastern, southern and southwestern provinces.

Hamdam said since launched seven years ago, NHLP has worked improving quality of various fruits, including grapes. Last year alone, 50 modern raisin processing plants were installed in central and northern provinces for farmers as part of the project.

The proposed plants would introduce new techniques in preserving and producing good quality raisins by replacing outdated techniques farmers currently use.

Construction work on the plants would start early new solar year in Sar-i-Pul, Jawzjan, Balkh, Parwan, Kapisa, Kabul, Herat, Samangan and Kunduz provinces.

Each plant is estimated to cost $8,000, with farmers contributing 25 percent to the expenditure, Hamdam said. Each plant, he continued, would have the capacity of producing 5,000 kilograms of raisin annually.

hg/ma/mud

Views: 3