Dairy products worth $180 million are imported annually to Afghanistan: ACAL

Afghanistan Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock (ACAL) said Monday that dairy products worth $180 million are being imported to Afghanistan every year from foreign countries, adding that whenever investment is made in livestock in the country, Afghanistan can be self-sufficient in terms of dairy production and even would be able to export these products to other countries.

“If the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock provides land, energy and cold storage to the private sector, it can invest,” said Khanjan Alkozi, a member of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI).

According to the ACCI, currently the flesh of beef, sheep, chicken, fish, and milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products are being imported from foreign countries, while there is the capacity to produce these items in the country.

In the meantime, Mirwais Hajizadeh, deputy director of the ACAL said: “We hope that if the private sector is given the opportunity to invest, it will be able to invest more in the country.”

At the same time, ACAL has said that this ministry has new plans for the development of livestock and farms.

“Livestock is one of the important sectors of the country that the Ministry of Agriculture intends to encourage the private sector to invest in this sector,” said Misbahuddin Mostain, the spokesman of ACAL.

Economic experts still say that by supporting livestock in Afghanistan, the traditional economy will be strengthened, and finally, with the expansion of livestock in the country, the national economy will become self-sufficient.

“Our country is an agricultural country and has a high capacity to invest in the livestock sector and develop this sector, and I hope the Ministry of Agriculture will pay serious attention to this section,” said Taj Mohammad Talash, an economy analyst.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan is considered one of the agricultural countries, but many of the agricultural products of this country are imported from abroad.