Kabul, 21 February According to an official, Afghanistan’s state-owned bread factory, Silo-e-Markazi or central silo in Kabul, has resumed operations decades after it was shut down.

“After arduous work, we have reactivated the Silo-e-Markazi to resume production, and for the first time in 30 years, it has began baking breads and cakes,” said Khayal Mohammad Maher, chief of the bread-producing body, addressing reporters on Sunday, according to Xinhua news agency.

The facility, which has been seriously damaged during the 1990s and has been shut down since 1992, will be completely rebuilt to improve output.

“Two more silos are located in the towns of southern Kandahar and western Herat, and officials will soon purchase the necessary equipment to properly restart the aforementioned plants,” Maher stated.

According to the official, the silo began production with 200 kg of flour baked daily for bread and cake, with a capacity of five tonnes per day planned in the future.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August of last year, this is the first time a state-run industrial unit has been restarted.

In the bakery area of the silo, a total of 130 people, including 12 women, work to create bread and cake, which are sold in 36 kiosks across the capital city.