By: Shukria Kohistani
Afghanistan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) has launched campaign to promote domestic products particularly fresh fruits in the country.
The move has been warmly welcomed by Afghan citizens across the country.
In the campaign, the people have been asked to use domestic products rather than foreign products. Currently, there are different types of domestic products particularly dry and fresh fruits in all markets across the country.
Although there are different types of dry and fresh fruits in Afghanistan markets, it is seen that foreign fresh fruits are imported on daily basis and most people prefer to purchase foreign fruits as most fresh fruits imported from foreign countries have been packed and stored in a better way.
Recent campaign launched for promotion of using domestic products by the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock has been welcomed by the people.
In the meantime, the Ministry has been asked to provide some training programs on processing and packing fresh fruits to the country’s orchard owners and farmers.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock has told media that collection of fresh fruits is underway across the country as a part of the fruits have been already delivered to the country’s markets.
“Fruit crops have unprecedentedly increased following continued promotion and creating new orchards in the country,” said Akram Rustami, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock.
According to the MAIL spokesperson, the campaign has been launched to support the country’s agricultural products, promotion of domestic products and encouraging the people to use and purchase domestic agricultural products rather than imported and foreign products.
Rustami further said that purchasing each domestic product particularly agricultural products could put huge positive impact on the life of the country’s famers and orchard owners in the most remote areas of the country and consequently result in economic development of the whole country.
He considered peach, watermelon, melon, berries and plum and others as increasing agricultural products during the summer season and were found in all markets of the country, adding that the Afghan fresh fruits were the top and tasteful fruits and sold lower than imported and foreign fruits.
Despite that most parts of Afghanistan are facing this year with shortage of water and drought, domestic agricultural products level, except wheat is satisfactory and good.
It is hoped that the government of Afghanistan will plan to implement a range of programs to address drought and shortage of water in areas facing with serous drought, or the problem can put negative impact of orchard owners and farmers in the country.