Afghan traders sign $2.38m deals during Gulfood show

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghan traders signed a series of deals worth $2.38 million for agricultural products in the Gulfood show in Dubai, the USAID said on Tuesday.

The traders are negotiating potential deals of about $10 million following their participation in the exhibition, the world’s largest aual food and hospitality event,held from February 21 to 25.

The USAID supported Afghanistan’s participation in 2015 Gulfood, allowing thousands of inteational buyers to lea about the country’s pomegranates, saffron, apples, apricots, melons, grapes, nutsand raisins.

Mahmood, marketing director of Afghan Red Pomegranate,signed the largest contract in his company’s history to export Kandahar pomegranates toSouth Korea, according to a USAID statement.

Sumaria Rahmati of Herat Saffron confirmed a deal of $700,000 from a Saudi buyer and she expects to execute it within two months.

“More and more inteational buyers are seeing the quality of Afghan produce. New and profitable markets are opening for the country every year as a result of events like this,” said Hanif Sufizada,private sector director at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Mustafa Sadiq,of the Omid Bahar Fruit-Processing Company, said Gulfood provided a great platform for Afghan producers and processors to introduce their agricultural products in inteational markets and to expand their business.

pr/mud