KABUL, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) has started work on building 40 fish farms in southern Uruzgan province, said Government Media and Information Center on Monday.
"The projects aim is to promote and encourage Uruzgan people toward fish farming. Projects total cost is estimated 17.5 million afghani (around 257,000 U.S. dollars) which will be funded from MAIL's developmental budget," it said in a statement.
"Works on establishing these farms has started and will be accomplished and launched within five months. Presently, these farms will be built in provincial capital Tirin Kot city, and soon will be expanded to other parts of the province," Provincial Director of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Zalmai Alokozay, was quoted as saying.
He said the move will create job opportunities and would help improve the public security as the insurgents have been trying to recruit hundreds of jobless youths in the province, which has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces and insurgents.
"With utilization of these 40 fish farming projects in Tirin Kot city, job opportunities will be provided directly to dozens of people, and will also create jobs to hundreds of people indirectly. On the other hand, people will have access to fresh fishes with reasonable price in the local markets.
"About 500 fishes will be raised in each fish farm for three months, and from these 40 farms, 20,000 fishes will be supplied to the market every three months." the statement noted.
The Afghan government has taken measures to invest in agricultural sector to further create job opportunities for people and to boost economy in the land-locked central Asian state.
Three decades of war had a devastating impact on the agriculture sector, however, the country has witnessed a 2-percent economy growth in 2016, according to official statistics.
