KABUL (Pajhwok): A four-day exhibition showcasing agricultural and domestic products titled ‘Supporting agriculture and livestock guarantees your health and economic growth’ commenced at the Badam Bagh Research Farm in Kabul on Thursday.
Agricultural, horticultural and livestock products, processed products, handicrafts, agricultural machinery, pure Afghan saffron, medicinal plants and plants, irrigation equipment, fruitful and non-fruitful seedlings, solar power generating devices and a number of other domestic products have been put on display at the show organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock.
As many as 263 booths have been installed at the event, with 56 booths dedicated to women’s handicrafts.
This year’s agricultural exhibition aims promoting economic growth, developing agricultural sector, supporting domestic products, promoting the culture of using domestic products, and developing and expanding the agriculture and livestock sectors, achieving self-sufficiency in these areas, and encouraging farmers.
At the opening ceremony, Acting Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Maulvi Attaullah Omari, said that 75 percent of Afghanistan’s people were associated with agriculture and livestock.
He said Afghanistan’s agricultural products were superior in the world in terms of quality.
He added the Islamic Emirate leadership had ordered the relevant ministries to embark on projects in various fields that have economic benefits for Afghanistan.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Maulvi Sadri Azam Usmani, said that one of the main objectives of today’s exhibition was to strengthen relations between farmers and traders and find markets for agricultural products.
He said they they were trying to find a suitable market for Afghanistan’s agricultural products.
Mullah Agha Jan Akhund, Deputy Minister of Finance said that the agricultural and livestock infrastructure suffered due to wars in different regions of Afghanistan over the past twenty years.
He said now was the time for all Afghans to work together with determination for the development, prosperity and self-sufficiency of Afghanistan.
He assured farmers that the Ministry of Agriculture fully supported them.
He said as per directives the leadership of the Islamic Emirate, additional wheat worth one billion afghani had been purchased from farmers this year and stored in Afghanistan’s strategic reserves.
Similarly, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan Abduzhakrov Jamshid said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition that economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan was increasing, and that his country was committed to providing assistance to Afghanistan in the field of agriculture.
He said: “Economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan is of great importance, we will have to work a lot on it. In 2022, economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan stood at about $400 million, but fortunately, it has developed significantly in 2024 and reached about $500 million. We are committed to being able to provide economic assistance to Afghanistan.”
The participants of the exhibition were happy to put on display their products, asking the government to find a market for their products.
An industrialist Mohibullah, who came from Nangarhar, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he exhibited food products at the exhibition and hoped his products would be liked and a suitable market found for them.
He said such exhibitions were useful and should also be held abroad for Afghan products to connect them with world markets.
Another industrialist Saleha from Balkh told Pajhwok that she exhibited handicrafts and considered holding such exhibitions useful.
She also urged the government to find a market for Afghan industrialists’ products, especially women’s products, abroad.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock says it is committed to providing marketing and sales opportunities for farmers and livestock farmers at all stages from production to consumption.
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