The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has constructed a modern cold storage facility with a capacity of 300 tons to support the agricultural sector in Afghanistan.
According to a written statement from TIKA, an inauguration ceremony was held for the facility in Paktiya province.
The ceremony was attended by Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Sadrazam Osmani, Paktiya Deputy Governor Mevlevi Inamullah Selahuddin, Paktiya Provincial Agriculture Director Emin Hashimi, TIKA Kabul Office Coordinator Fazıl Akın Erdoğan and local farmers.
Osmani highlighted the importance of TIKA’s work in agriculture and announced that cooperation with Türkiye on oilseed cultivation would take place soon.
Hashimi thanked TIKA, emphasizing that the project would strengthen the agricultural sector.
Selahuddin noted that such projects further reinforce the brotherly ties between Türkiye and Afghanistan.
Akın Erdoğan stated that a large majority of the Afghan population depends on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods and therefore these sectors are prioritized in development projects.
Due to long-standing deficiencies in storage infrastructure, farmers have been unable to store their products under proper conditions, resulting in high levels of product loss and decreased income. The cold storage facility project implemented by TIKA provides the region with its first standardized solution to this problem.
Equipped with modern technologies, the facility will allow fruits and vegetables, especially apples, to retain their nutritional value for longer periods, enabling them to reach the market in better condition. This will also allow producers to sell their products in wider markets and at more competitive prices.
