KABUL (TOLOnews): The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said that nearly 500,000 tons of cotton have been cultivated in the country in the current year solar year. The head of ACCI, Mohammad Yunus Momand, suggested that standardized cotton processing facilities be developed in order to export cotton thread and oil to other nations, particularly those in the region.
“We need to construct a huge oil production facility in Afghanistan so that we can process oil from 500,000 tons of cotton seeds, which is a requirement for Afghanistan, and export it abroad. We can export cotton thread to South Asia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan. If necessary, we can export cotton to Europe,” Momand said.
The Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that due to the prohibition of drug cultivation in the country, the amount of cotton cultivation has increased significantly.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) reported that at the moment cotton processing factories have been built in the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, and Balkh, and attempts are under way to build in other parts of the nation.
“The Ministry of Agriculture has decided to build the cotton processing factories, together with the private sector, for the sake of a better cotton market,” said Musbahuddin Mustaeen, a spokesman for the ministry.
In the meantime, some farmers asked the Islamic Emirate to meet their challenges so their yields increase. “They should make available to us the medicine for agricultural diseases and make the fertilizer a little cheaper,” said Ahmad Faisal, a farmer.
Nearly 500,000 tons of cotton cultivated in current solar year
