A number of local businessmen said on Saturday that the lack of markets for agricultural products, particularly onions, affect a big part of their production every year.
 
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, says 142,000 tons of onions were harvested this year, but according to businessmen a big part of the harvest was spoiled due to a lack of standard storage facilities and markets.
 
The businessmen said the reason behind a lack of onions exports was the fall of the onions price in world markets.
 
“We cannot do our business and build freezer facilities if government does not help us. We will face more problems. You see here that we have lost everything,” Humayun, a businessman said.
 
“We don’t have to export onions aboard if government builds standard freezers for us. We are self-reliant in onion production,” Nijabat Haidari, head of Fruit and Vegetables Export Union said.
 
Meanwhile, the ministry of agriculture said they have built at least 606 small and medium freezers for onions and potatos across the country.
 
The MAIL spokesman Lotfullah Rashid said the businessmen should have called for the ministry’s help to keep their products this year.
 
“There are problems, but the ministry cannot do marketing for them. We continue our efforts to work with farmers on their fields and provide the ground for better harvests,” Rashid said.