Pomegreat signs £3m a year deal to buy pomegranate juice from Afghanistan

[Robb]

Pomegreat signs £3m a year deal to buy pomegranate juice from Afghanistan

A British drinks firm has become the first international buyer of Afghan pomegranate juice under a drive to wean farmers off the opium trade

Pomegreat has signed a provisional agreement to buy 500 tonnes of concentrate each year from the country's first fruit juice factory, based on the outskirts of Kabul. It will also buy a further 500 tonnes of fresh pomegranates, making the deal worth £3m a year.

Afghanistan considers itself the home of pomegranates and the fruit is one of the few crops to rival the income from opium poppies.

Demand in the UK has soared on their reputation as a medicinal super fruit, but until now the pomegranates considered the best in the world have been unavailable. Under the terms of the deal, Pomegreat will buy around four-fifths of its pomegranate juice concentrate from the factory. The first shipment will arrive within six weeks.

Adam Pritchard, chief executive, said: "I have been waiting for a factory in Afghanistan to become available for four or five years. The product is fantastic."

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[WhiteTara]

1. farmers can make more money from

pomegranates than opium.

[louis-t]

2. Great news.

Love pomegranate juice.

[rox63]

3. Could they grow saffron in Afghanistan?

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices around. They could make a lot more money growing it than they do from opium poppies.

[madrchsod]

4. nectar of the gods...

[rug]

5. OK, I might follow the pipeline argument but not pomegranate juice.

[Robb]

6. LOL. nt