Afghanistan looks to squeeze new markets from pomegranates
The Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing Company is being hailed as a beacon of hope for Afghanistan's fractured farming sector.It is the country's first juice concentrate factory, designed mainly to transform succulent pomegranates into juices and purees for consumption at home and around the world.
Some 200 people, including 70 women, will work in two shifts around the clock at the factory, while the government estimates that 50,000 farmers will benefit directly from its creation.
Pomegranates -- found everywhere in Afghanistan and hailed by its people as the best in the world -- will be the main fruit, although there are plans to process apples, melons, peaches and apricots.
Mustafa Sadiq, owner of Omaid Bahar Processing Facility and Tom Vilsack, the US secretary of agriculture, exchange greetings at Omaid Bahar Processing Facility.
Mustafa Sadiq, owner of Omaid Bahar Processing Facility and Tom Vilsack, the US secretary of agriculture, exchange greetings at Omaid Bahar Processing Facility.
