One Year to 25 Percent Decrease of Dairy Import

Farmer Chat!

Dehqan Weekly # 78

One Year to 25 Percent Decrease of Dairy Import

On October 29, 2019 the construction of a big milk processing factory began in Kabul’s Reshkhor which will reduce dairy imports by 25 percent in the near future. The construction of the Ultra-high temperature processing (UHT) factory will be completed in less than a year. The factory will collect livestock keepers’ dairy from Parwan, Logar, and Kabul provinces and will process it.

The factory is estimated to cost some 3.3 million USD, funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD). The project will be implemented by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The factory has the capacity of processing 80,000 liters of milk in 24 hours. Seven types of good-quality dairy, namely milk, yogurt, cheese, cream, butter, and dried curd will be produced in the factory and will be supplied to the market.

Nasir Ahmad Durrani, agriculture minister, in the foundation stone laying ceremony said that upon the operation, the factory can considerably reduce imports of dairy in the country.

Meanwhile Fibrizio Cesaretti, deputy FAO country director for Afghanistan, said that upon the functional of the factory, dairy imports will be reduced by 25 percent in Afghanistan.

Another part of the factory’s impact is the growth of livelihoods for rural women. According to official statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, traditionally, women play an essential role in the training of dairy animals, with about 51 %, and the milk process leads to the purchase of milk and the sustainable growth of their activities.

The reality is the steps have been taken and luckily tomorrow is more glittering than today.