KABUL, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Construction of a major fruit market worth 7 million U.S. dollars has begun in western Afghanistan's Herat Province, local media outlet Tolo news reported on Monday.
According to the report, the market, funded by the private sector, is being built on 65 acres of land and aims to preserve fresh domestic fruits and facilitate their export to foreign markets. The project is expected to be completed within six months.
The facility will include standard cold storage units with a total capacity of more than 10,000 tons, along with 600 shops for fruit and vegetable sales, the report said.
Once operational, the market is expected to help reduce post-harvest losses, support farmers and traders, and improve the supply of fresh produce to both domestic and international markets. ■