for the Pomegranate, and the home of many high quality and unique varieties - from the jumbo, ruby-red Kandahari to the seedless Bedana, ideal for eating out of hand or processing into juices. Afghan pomegranates are well known for their sweetness, and are sold fresh in regional markets or processed into value-added products, from specialty desserts and toppings to juices, concentrates, and cosmetics. The World Pomegranate Fair in Afghanistan will be an annual event to promote the Afghan pomegranate industry, create new business opportunities, and benefit the people of Afghanistan. The fair will bring together producers; buyers; packaging, logistics, and cold storage technology companies; equipment vendors; international experts on pomegranate production and processing; and government agencies to facilitate new business linkages and partnerships, share knowledge on how to increase production and create greater value of products, and develop solutions to build more efficiencies into the pomegranate value chain. Event highlights will include:

	Business-to-business networking events
	A showcase of Afghan pomegranate varieties and tasting samples for potential buyers
	Lectures on pomegranate production, post-harvesting, logistics, processing, and marketing
	Demonstration of new technologies used in manufacturing pomegranate products
	Displays of pomegranate products, including foods, juices, ice cream, syrups, health products, cosmetics and more
	A sampling of food dishes prepared using pomegranates
	Business dinner for the launch of the Afghan pomegranate brand

Regional and world markets can't get enough of the Afghan pomegranate — literally. Demand is substantial but not matched by supply, and not necessarily for reasons related to conflict conditions or material transport costs.

Ag market experts continue to note opportunities for expanded capacity at every stage in the value chain, both within and beyond Afghanistan's borders. These "opportunities" are no mere wish list for developing country infrastructure expansion, but real private sector investment vacuums in industries such as packaging, cold chain logistics, and brokerage services that for a number of reasons have remained dormant or inhibited. Unleashed demand and rising export prices could change the equation just enough to awaken a substantial amount of trade-related business.

International awareness of Afghan pomegranates' distinctive attributes and range of genetic variety is not new. Pomegranates originating in Afghan territory have been bought and sold within the region for all of recorded time, but have always faced technological and logistical limitations. A century ago, British India imported Afghan pomegranates in flimsy crates made from tree branches and packed with rapidly melting ice. During the Soviet era, Afghanistan exported pomegranates to Russia through a rigid commodity exchange barter system.
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