4 APRIL 2011 | MAZAR, AFGHANISTAN

 

Home to some of the sweetest and juiciest varieties of pomegranates, grapes, and apricots, Afghanistan is promoting its natural riches to the world through trade shows in lucrative markets abroad.  Not only is it winning over international customers with its high-quality produce, Afghanistan is also grabbing top honors for its presentation. 

 

The Afghanistan pavilion won the gold medal at the 30th India International Trade Fair held in New Delhi last November.  The pavilion, which comprised 22 booths spread across 200 square meters, garnered top scores in a variety of categories, including best designed pavilion, best managed pavilion, most visited pavilion, public choice, media choice and most selling pavilion.  The Afghanistan pavilion was designed after the exterior of the Blue Mosque, one of the country’s most famous and beautiful religious sites, in Mazari Sharif in northwestern Afghanistan.

 

With the support of USAID, 31 Afghan producers and traders of dried fruit and nuts, pomegranates, apples, saffron and other products like carpets and handicrafts attended the fair and displayed their products at the Afghanistan pavilion.  In addition to winning gold, the Afghan traders generated $298,000 in sales of their products and set the foundation for future deals with Indian buyers.

 

More than 5,000 people visited the Afghanistan pavilion on the opening day of the fair.  Ajmal Rahmani, the director of the Nangarhar Dried Fruit and Nuts Association, came away with a long list of business contacts that he is confident will lead to more business deals throughout 2011.

 

“It is very important for Afghan traders to participate in fairs in other countries,” Rahmani said. “This is a golden opportunity for the Afghan businesspeople to showcase their products and to meet with other traders all around the word and make business deals with them.”

 

Through it’s Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Program, USAID provides strategic support to public and private sectors nationwide with the overarching goals of improving agricultural production, increasing sales and exports, generating new jobs, and introducing modern agricultural technologies.