Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) – Kabul: The press office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said in a statement on Saturday that a standard cold storage facility has been built in Jawzjan province from the ministry's development budget.

 

According to the statement, the cold storage has a storage capacity of 100 metric tons of fruit, is located in the village of At Chapar, the center of Sheberghan, and its equipment and machinery are imported from abroad.

 

Ministry of Agriculture officials hope the cold storage will help reduce waste of horticultural crops and improve access to fresh fruit during low-production seasons by allowing fruit to be stored properly throughout the year.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture of Jawzjan said in an official statement that the construction of the cold storage began some time ago and continued seriously; The project is funded at a cost of more than 33 million Afghanis and is being implemented.

 

Jawzjan Governor Qari Gul Haidar Shafaq, along with the provincial agriculture chief, visited the project workflow and instructed the engineers to ensure high quality work.

 

The purpose of the cold storage is to store fresh fruits and supply them in all seasons.

 

According to economic and agricultural experts, the cold storage could be an effective step in reducing post-harvest waste; Because fruits spoil in the winter or when there is no good market.

 

Observers say that with such storage capacity, Jawzjan gardeners will have the opportunity to supply their fruits to the market at better prices and at a more convenient time, which will both increase their income and ensure the diversity of fresh fruit supply in the markets throughout the year.

 

However, according to experts, the full success of the project depends on proper storage, proper technical management and cold chain assurance (refrigeration, cold transportation, sustainable electricity) to maintain the right temperature for fruit storage and its quality is not affected during distribution.