From Cultivation to Production

Written by: Hesamuddin Hamdard

Aloe Vera is a plant, grows wild in tropical climates around the world but now it is cultivating for agricultural and medicinal uses in other parts of the world. Recently some farmers have cultivated this plant in Afghanistan too.

AEPO writer/producer has talked to a woman, Rozia a resident of Injeel district, Herat province, who has cultivated Aloe Vera.

Rozia says: “I have learnt the cultivation of Aloe Vera in a workshop held by a company in Herat. I have two farms for cultivating Aloe Vera. The first one is my own farm and the second one is made with the assistance of Herat agricultural department. One year before I bought 1500 Aloe Vera plants and I cultivated them in 700 square meters of land. After a year, I started the process of Aloe Vera. At the beginning, I was selling the leaves of Aloe to the company and the company was using them in preparing juices and other items but later I opened my own soap and jam preparing factory. 30 women are busy in jam making and 20 women are busy in soap making factory and we get equal benefit from our products. I have decided to grow Aloe Vera in three Jerib (3000 square meters) more land in the future. bBefore starting my business, I had a patient at home and I did not have enough money to treat him but after I started the business, I treated my patient and enrolled my son in a private institution of higher education. Our customers are men who sell our products to the shops in the market.”

One shop, two businesses:

Engineer Muhammad Nabi Niazi is a resident of Kabul city who uses his shop for two different businesses.

Niazi says to AEPO’s writer/producer about his work: “I started a business while I was living in one of our neighboring countries. At the beginning, I was buying goods from my host country and was selling in Kabul. Later when I came back to Afghanistan, I opened a ceramic selling shop in Chehel Sotoon area, Kabul city and after 11 years, I moved my shop to the center of Kabul city. I started to sell ceramics, plasco (plastic) dishes, flasks, vacuum cleaners and others. As the income of my shop did not fulfill me all necessities, I signed a contract with one of the dry-cleaning companies, Kabul city and opened a dry-cleaning company agency beside my previous business. The dry-cleaning company pays me 30% of the total benefits of the suits that I collect for it. Now all my economic problems are solved.”