Some fruit and vegetable traders are complaining about the lack of standard cold storage facilities in the country.

They said that due to the lack of cold storage in the country, farmers, gardeners, and traders face huge financial losses every year.

These traders called on the Islamic Emirate to make standard cold storage areas in the country to store their agricultural products.

“With the cold storage houses that are related to the private sector, traders can increase or decrease their payment according to their products. We need standard governmental cold storage areas to be established in the districts, and all farmers can use them,” said Merwis Haji Zada, deputy of the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock.

“All our farmers and landowners produce agricultural products without cold storage and bring their products to the market and sell them at a cheap price that is not really useful for them. Or their products will rot,” said Sayed Masoud, a political analyst.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economics said that currently 56 standard cold storage areas are active in the country.

“Currently, there are 56 standard cold houses in the country, which are used by our dear compatriots, our effort is to design and operate the needed houses through institutions after completing the cold houses needs assessment,’ said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy of the Ministry of Economy.

The Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock said that the Islamic Emirate will provide more facilities for businessmen who invest in the construction of cold storage areas.

“At the government level, the Ministry of Agriculture is working on the construction of 14 cold storage areas in different provinces. And the private sector has been invited to invest in this sector,” said Mesbahuddin Mostain, the ministry’s spokesperson.

Based on the statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, there are 420 to 450 small and large cold storage areas in Afghanistan that are related to the private sector, farmers, and government departments, and some of these cold storage areas have become inactive.