UK juice firm Pomegreat is to being purchasing its fruit juice from Afghanistan in a bid to open trade dialogue with the country.
The firm said today (1 March), that it will be the first international company to purchase any form of fruit juice from Afghanistan. The company aims to purchase a minimum of 500 tons of pomegranate concentrate and 500 tons of fresh fruit from Omaid Bahar, Afghanistan’s first fruit processing facility.
The country, once famous for its pomegranates before years of war cut trade routes and forced the loss of traditional markets, is slowly regaining its position with the help of international aid forces who are working to restore old trade routes that were once broken.
Omaid Bahar is Afghanistan’s first fruit processing facility, based in Kabul. Opened in October 2009, with the support of USAID, the company said it hopes to produce and export fruit concentrate and fresh fruit to all global markets. The deal with Pomegreat is worth an estimated GBP3m (US$) over the 2010/2011 period.
Adam Pritchard, chief executive, Pomegreat said: “Being given the chance to source the best pomegranates in the world, from their spiritual home is something I couldn’t overlook. The Afghan pomegranate is the best in the world and in ten years sourcing pomegranates from many other countries, I have never previously encountered juice of the quality Omaid Bahar is offering. My long-term aim is for pomegranates and other fruit juices from Afghanistan to become a valuable and valid commodity that can be exported around the world.”
The first batch of juice is expected to arrive in the UK this month.
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By GlobalData