Announcement

Kabul AgFair Promotes Fresh Produce and Facilitates Business Deals

50,000 people attend to forge business deals and celebrate Afghanistan’s abundance.

Kabul, Afghanistan  | Monday, June 15, 2009

Photo: USAID/Julie Fossler

An AgFair attendee inspects a display of Afghanistan’s fresh produce.

“Afghanistan has sparked the interest and the appetite – literally the appetite – of the world,” said U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry on the opening day of the Kabul International Fresh Fruit and Vegetable AgFair.  The AgFair, held from May 20-22, attracted an estimated 50,000 people to forge business deals and celebrate Afghanistan’s abundance of fresh produce ranging from pomegranates to spinach.

More than 180 international and national businesses, ranging from honey producers to machinery providers, displayed their wares at the AgFair.  The fair’s productivity center provided 3,000 Afghan farmers, students and government staff insight into improved agricultural methods ranging from grape trellising and soil testing to cashmere harvesting and drip irrigation. 

Business-to-business meetings brought together leading agribusiness representatives from Afghanistan and ten other countries, generating business deals and building international partnerships.  For example, a representative of Case-New Holland, a leading manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, said the company will select an Afghan entrepreneurs to sell its machinery in Afghanistan.   Herat Nursery Association Representative Abdul Aziz Popal said, “The fair not only provided me with an opportunity to exhibit and show my products, but also gave me a chance to meet national and international buyers. This will not only benefit me, but also the real producers who are the farmers.”