This Saturday, state officials inaugurated a cold storage facility at Hamid Karzai International Airport. The facility has been built with the financial support of U.S. Agency for International Development.

USAID said in a statement that cold storage facility at Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) will enable exporters to increase shipments of perishable fresh fruits and vegetables to high-paying international markets, minimizing product loss and maximizing profit.

The statement further added that the facility was inaugurated at a ceremony on July 13 at the HKIA Customs Export Warehouse with keynote guests from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, and the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

Zabihullah Ehsan, president of Tak Dana Ltd. said “We have buyers in Dubai, India and Europe who are interested in fresh fruits. Our fresh fruit exports require a consistent cold chain, but the cold chain could not be maintained due to the lack of cold storage at the airport. This safeguards the fresh fruit in case of flight cancellation or delay and ultimately gives us a chance to compete in those markets.”

Meanwhile, USAID added in its statement that last month’s “Made in Afghanistan: Nature’s Best” Mumbai Trade Mission, also supported by USAID, demonstrated the growing demand for Afghan fresh fruit on the Indian subcontinent.