JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Officials of the Canal Department in eastern Nangarhar province on Sunday said the olive processing plant would process 900 tonnes of olives this year, of which 10 tonnes would be pickled and the rest would be used for oil production.
The Olive Processing Factory, built nearly five decades ago to process the Nangarhar Canal olives, has just begun processing this year's olive crop.
Officials hope that Nangarhar's olive oil and pickles will find a special place in the world market because they are considered to be the best in terms of quality and internationally valuable.
Maulvi Ghulam Rehman, director of the Nangarhar Canal, told Pajhwok Afghan News the factory would 900 tonnes of olives this year.
He added that the transfer of olives to the factory has already started and the technicians have started its processing.
According to him, out of 900 tonnes of olives this year, 10 tonnes will be pickled and the rest will be used for oil production.
The director said that Nangarhar olive oil has a large domestic market but they were trying to find a way to the international market.
According to the officials of Nangarhar Canal Department, Nangarhar olive oil and pickles are still very popular in the Italian market but efforts are being made to export them to other countries.
The Nangarhar Olive Production and Processing Factory was established by the former Soviet Union.
The factory had 1050 employees at the time of its inception, but now that number has dropped to just 60.
The olive orchards in Nangarhar were established in the reign of former King Mohammad Zahir Shah, and a processing plant was set up to process the produce.
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