A new cold-storage facility has opened in Herat after being built at a cost of about $1.5 million on roughly 4,000 square metres of land. Operators say the facility can store about 3,000 tonnes of goods and is designed for fruit, vegetables and other temperature-sensitive products.
Farmers in Herat have long complained that limited storage capacity forces them to sell produce quickly during harvest periods, when supply is high and prices can fall. Products that cannot be sold or moved in time are also exposed to spoilage.
The new facility adds capacity to the province’s agricultural supply chain and can help extend the marketing period for some crops. Local growers and business representatives say more cold-storage centers are still needed because Herat produces large volumes of fruit and vegetables for domestic markets and export.