Badakhshan to Assess 1,000 Jeribs for Modern Cold Storage Facilities

DID Press: Badakhshan’s Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock has launched an assessment of 1,000 jeribs of land for the establishment of modern cold storage facilities aimed at preserving and processing fruit, officials said. The initiative is expected to help develop agricultural infrastructure and reduce post-harvest losses in the province.

The department said studies and evaluations of the designated land have begun to identify suitable sites for standard cold storage facilities.

According to the provincial Department of Information and Culture, citing Kikaws Taksari, director general of planning and coordination and spokesperson for the agriculture department, the process was launched under an order from Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader. Technical teams have begun on-the-ground assessments of proposed locations, he said.

Taksari added that once appropriate sites are finalized, the Taliban-run Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock will begin preparing technical designs, with construction of modern cold storage facilities planned for next year to improve the storage and management of fruit products.

Earlier this week, Al-Emarah news agency, citing the agriculture ministry, reported that construction is currently under way on eight cold storage facilities across six zones of the country, with a combined capacity of 5,000 metric tonnes.

Officials said the planned cold storage facilities in Badakhshan could play a key role in reducing fruit losses, increasing orchardists’ incomes, and strengthening the local economy.