KABUL, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A new flour mill financed by a local entrepreneur has commenced operations in northern Afghanistan's Balkh province, the official Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday.
Constructed at a cost of 2 million U.S. dollars, the facility has a round-the-clock production capacity of 280 tons of flour and has created 100 direct jobs, according to its owner, Mohammad Yusuf Shahbaz.
Afghanistan's domestic flour production has increased in recent years, with the country now meeting more than half of its national requirements. Afghanistan requires around 6 million tons of flour annually, of which 3.5 million tons are produced domestically, according to figures cited last year by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
To support the sector, the authorities have reduced tariffs on wheat imports, banned wheat smuggling, and purchased surplus wheat from farmers at reasonable prices for storage and later market release as needed. ■
