(MENAFN- Wadsam) The first pistachio processing factory in Badghis was
inaugurated last week in the presence of local government officials and business
community members.
With a processing line equipped with five pistachio crushing
machines, the factory has the capacity to process 300-500 kilos of pistachio in
one hour, which is 7,200-12,000 kilos in a day.
The factory's processing line has the capacity for installation
of five more crushing machines that could double the processing capacity of the
factory.
Financed by the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture and the
private sector, this factory is built at
a total cost of USD 157,500.
'This factory is built according to the market standards. In
addition to crushing and processing pistachios, this factory also does sorting,
grading, cleaning, and packaging of the pistachios. We are sure this factory
will help Badghis pistachio gain international recognition,' said Head of Agriculture
Department in Badghis, Abdul Tawab Tayeb.
The current and traditional method of crushing and
processing pistachios in Badghis results in 10% waste of the products, but with
the establishment of the new factory, the waste is reduced to 1%.
According to estimates from traders in western Afghanistan,
if the Badghis pistachio is crushed and cleaned by a machine, the value of one kilo
of pistachio kernels will increase by 150 AFN. Based on these estimates, the
value of Badghis pistachios this year could go up by over 600 million AFN,
equivalent to over USD 7 million.
This year, about 36,458 tons of fresh pistachios have been
produced in the province, of which 18,299 tons of dried pistachios have been obtained.
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