6 NOVEMBER 2011 | NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN

 

Fruit juice is a popular drink in the eastern region, especially during the hot, dusty months of the summer. However, most commercially available fruit drinks are imported, and there is a large demand for high-quality fruit drinks that cater to Afghan tastes. In 2009, The Ibrahim Malikzai Food and Beverages Company began producing mango juice under the "Fresh Up" brand, selling it mostly in the local shops in Jalalabad.

 

Through a USAID grant of $38,000, the company obtained new juice bottling equipment in order to improve the quality and consistency of their product and increase the volume of production.

 

With the new equipment installed and operational, the firm’s production capacity has increased from 120 cartons per day, to 700 cartons per day. This increased capacity will allow Ibrahim to expand their market into Laghman, Kunar, Mazar-i Sharif, and Kabul. By producing a high quality, low-priced product proudly made in Afghanistan, Ibrahim expects to capture a larger share of the market and be competitive against imported juice products. The firm expects a 70 percent increase in revenue due to USAID support.

 

"I have worked with Ibrahim for the last six months. This helps me to support myself and my family financially," said Najibullah, one of the workers at Ibrahim.

 

This juice-production facility also has the potential to be a buyer of locally produced fruit pulp. Currently, the firm imports mango pulp from Pakistan, as mangos are not grown in this area and no firms in the eastern region are able to provide alternative fruit pulp in sufficient volume or quality. With an established market for their juice products, Ibrahim plans to begin sourcing Afghan grown fruit pulp to create new flavors of juices. This will encourage local fruit growers and other firms to invest in fruit processing in order to supply Ibrahim with fruit pulp for new juice flavors. By creating this market for locally produced fruit pulp, Ibrahim will drive an increase in per capita income for fruit growers in the eastern region.