Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Afghanistan looks to pomegranates to revive its economy


Kandahar is a province in Afghanistan that is more associated with the Taliban than its famous pomegranates and it is now that harvest time is coming to an end for these fruits. These fruits are usually packed in boxes or jute sacks and sent to markets and warehouses in Pakistan and the Middle East.
This is a key produce for the country and it needs to reach more profitable destinations in Europe and other places so that the export could improve the economy of Afghanistan.
Right now, delegates have gathered in London for a conference on Afghanistan and, the prospects for reducing the reliance on foreign aid are increasingly focused on two sectors of the economy: agriculture and hydrocarbons.
In this conference, already a beginning seems to have been made by Pomegreat Juice Company that buys quality pomegranate concentrate from all over the world. It has set its sights on Afghanistan. In the London Conference on Afghanistan, Mr Pritchard of the Pomegreat Juice Company has reportedly signed a multimillion pound supply agreement with the Kabul-based Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing Company to buy 1,000 tonnes of pomegranate concentrate.
It could prove a blueprint for Afghan agriculture in the years to come if all goes to plan and be a step towards good days to come.
However, Najlla Habibiyar, the head of Afghanistan's Export Promotion Agency, has her doubts. She is aware of the extent of challenge that would be faced by Mr Pritchard and his Afghan partners because it is tough for Afghan farmers to make a living from pomegranates. Poppy (from which opium is made) is a better option. Pomegranates need "work, time and a good market", the poppies pose no such problem – the poppy farmers know that they will always get paid, even if their crops get eradicated.
Of course, pomegranate production is also on the rise but, there is a difference – the poppy farmers can expect the buyers to come to them while the pomegranate growers could face huge obstacles to get their fruits to the market.

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