The construction contract of two Peanuts processing factories and Raisins signed by the Ministry of Agriculture

Sawar 14: May 4, 2021
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) has signed a contract with two agricultural companies for establishment of two peanuts processing factories in Khost province and raisin cleaning factories in Kabul.
These contracts were signed today by Dr. Anwarul Haq Ahady, MAIL minister, with Haji Sardar- Agha, director of "Murid Fayeq" Company, and Shahzadah Zadran, President of "Rahmani Zadran" Company, in the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to the contract, a raisin factory in Kabul will be built at a cost of 3.2 million $ with joint venture of Horticultural Value Chain Development Sector Project (HVCDSP), of the Ministry of Agriculture and Murid Fayeq Company.
The Ministry of Agriculture is providing 1 million $ in grants through HVCDSP to build a raisin factory, this project is funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB).
360,000 $ is invested by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rahmani Zadran Agricultural Company in establishing a black peanuts processing factory in Khost province. The share of the Ministry of Agriculture in providing this amount is 180 thousand dollars. Which is provided by Horticulture Value Chain Development Project with the financial support (ADB).
Mr. Ahady, signed the agreements, saying that Afghanistan was once one of the most important exporters of raisins in the world and that the government is struggling to regain that position. He added that good steps have been taken in production and export of peanuts, but these steps are still elementary in this regard.
The Minister of Agriculture emphasized that the private sector has a key role and responsibility in increasing production and exports, stating that joint ventures between the government and the private sector are the most important incentives for investors. He said that the effectiveness of such investments is also high.
Also, Arthur Andrisiak, deputy director of Asian Development Bank in Afghanistan, who attended the signing ceremony online, said that improving agriculture is the most important way to improve the economic situation in Afghanistan. He said the majority of the country's citizens thrive on agriculture through agricultural activities.
Mr. Andrisiak stressed that ADB has been one of the most important donors in the field of agriculture in recent years, and that the bank's assistance in the agricultural sector has reached 900 million $.
Meanwhile, Haji Sardar Agha, president of Murid Fayeq, says that a raisin factory with international standards will be built in Kabul in cooperation with MAIL.
Prince Zadran, head of the Rahmani Zadran agricultural company, also said that with the establishment of the peanuts processing factory in Khost, the price of this product would increase and help improve the economic situation of gardeners.