PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – A new cool-storage facility opened in Koe Tollkha Village in Bazarak District during a ribbon cutting, Sept. 27.
Panjshir Deputy Gov. Abdul Rahman Kabiri, the head of Panjshir Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, members of the Kentucky National Guard Agribusiness Development Team and members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team were among those to witness the ceremony.
After welcoming everyone, Kabiri said this was a step in the right direction to help the economic situation in Panjshir.
“It is a big problem that we cannot keep our food for very long,” said Kabiri through an interpreter. “This will help our farmers extend the life of the food and help our economics, so the people of Panjshir can prosper.”
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeffery Casada, ADT leader with the Panjshir PRT, said a cool-storage facility is equivalent to a cellar and keeps vegetables and fruits in a cool, dry place to hold them for a longer period of time.
“Normally when fruits and vegetables are picked, they have to be transported to market right away,” said Casada, a London, Ky., native. “If they are put in a cool-storage facility, the produce can be kept for a longer period of time. This enables the farmer to have a continued presence at the market rather than trying to sell the entire crop at the market at one time.”
Elizabeth Smithwick, U.S. Agency for International Development field officer at Panjshir PRT and acting Panjshir PRT director, said the cool-storage facility will prevent gluts in the market and will give producers another option in storing produce for the whole village.
“The cool-storage is a community project and will serve the whole village to include the small family farms in the village,” said Smithwick, a Texas native. “The elders of the village will lay out a storage plan and that is how the village will use it.”
This cool-storage facility was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the Afghan Small and Medium Enterprise Development program.
According to their Web site, ASMED seeks to create economic growth and improve private sector productivity.
“The cool-storage will bring change to people’s lives,” said Hashmatuallah Anayat, Panjshir DAIL, through an interpreter. “It will create economic growth for the people of this village.”
This project and future projects signify the strong relationship in this province, said Smithwick.
“Working together on projects like these strengthens our relationships here,” she said. “The Afghans are making progress one project at a time, and we are honored to be part of it.”
| Date Taken: |
09.27.2010 |
| Date Posted: |
10.01.2010 07:51 |
| Story ID: |
57295 |
| Location: |
PANJSIR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: |
36 |
| Downloads: |
6 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, Cool-storage extends food life in Afghanistan, by Capt. Holly Hess, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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