Main Article Content
Abstract (in English)
This article aims to examine the economic and technical importance of cold storage facilities, their current status in Afghanistan, the types and equipment of cold storage facilities, and the challenges associated with the development of the cold chain. The research method is a narrative review, drawing on institutional reports, documents related to the agricultural sector, and scientific articles published on post-harvest storage and cold storage technology. According to figures reported in sources from the relevant ministries, Afghanistan has 3,178 storage units, including 3,063 farm-level storage units, 41 commercial units, and 74 cooperative units. The total storage capacity is also reported to be approximately 180 thousand metric tonnes, compared with an annual production of Approximately 5.84 million metric tonnes of fruits and vegetables. The article concludes that developing standard cold storage facilities, ensuring a reliable energy supply, training human resources, improving product packaging and transportation, and establishing a sustainable cold chain management system can help reduce losses and improve the market performance of agricultural products in Afghanistan.