24 Million$ Investment Contract signed on Processing and Exporting of Green Raisins

Hoot 28: March 18, 2021
A 24 million $ investment agreement in processing and exporting  of green raisins was signed between the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock's Horticultural Value Development Sector Project (HVCDSP) and Pomegranate Agricultural Services Company.
The contract was signed today between Dr. Anwarul Haq Ahady, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, and the director of the Pomegranate Agriculture Company at the Ministry of Agriculture.
By signing this agreement, HVSDSP and Pomegranate Agricultural Services Company will invest 24 million AFN in processing and exporting of green raisins, 50% of which will get paid by HVCDSP project and other 50% by Pomegranate Agricultural Services Company.
Ahady at signing ceremony of the above mentioned contract said, "Today we are inaugurating one of the biggest and vital projects. This project can play a pivotal role in development of national economy and is a big step in self-sufficiency. Our desire is to have basic agricultural products managed domestically, and to achieve this goal by launching of this project is very necessary."
Mr. Ahadi added, that with the implementation of this project, the amount of exports will upgrade and the field of work will be equal for working men and women, and with implementation of this project, the farmers' annual efforts will pay off, and their crops will be sold at a reasonable price, and after standard processing, they will be sent to domestic and foreign markets.
Pomegranate Agricultural Services Company, which is a party to this contract, operates in Ghazni. This agricultural company works in processing and exporting of green raisins, but due to the lack of modern machines, it has many issues.
Mohammad Khan Misagh, the president of the company, says that their company has problems in marketing and obtaining a certificate due to the lack of modern machines, but with the signing of this contract, a large number of the company's problems will be solved.
Similarly, Farid Reid, the Director of the Ministry of Agriculture's horticulture value chain development project, said, that according to the contract signed, HVCDSP will help the Pomegranate Agricultural Services Company, in purchasing machines, finding domestic and foreign markets, and obtaining international certificates.
He stated the implementation of this project, which will increase the number of equal workplaces and export of green raisins to a number of compatriots. And will play an important role in development of the private sector.
Considering that 60% of the employees of the Pomegranate Agricultural Services Company are women, with the implementation of this project, a number of women around the city of Ghazni will be provided with jobs. He added that Pomegranate Agricultural Services Company will help at least 100 farmers under a cooperation agreement and will buy their agricultural products at a reasonable price from the mentioned farmers in the future.
It should be noted that in the coming weeks, cooperation agreements will be signed with four other private companies in various sectors.
Horticultural Value Development Sector Project( HVCDSP) of the Ministry of Agriculture operates in 11 provinces including Kabul, Logar, Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Ghazni, Maidan Wardak, Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman and Bamyan. The project is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).