Officials from the Kandahar Chamber of Commerce and Investment say that the province’s total exports of fresh and dried fruits have increased by approximately 164 percent this year compared with last year. However, amid the ongoing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, grape exports have declined by 95 percent.
Abdul Baqi Bina, Deputy Head of the Kandahar Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said that the province exported a total of 111,496 tonnes of fresh and dried fruits last year. This year, the figure has risen to 294,000 tonnes.
According to Bina, exports of fresh fruits from Kandahar, particularly grapes, have fallen by 95 percent due to the ongoing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Bina said that more than 44,000 tonnes of grapes were harvested in Kandahar last year, of which approximately 43,000 tonnes were exported to Pakistan. However, so far during this year’s grape harvest season, only around 1,000 tonnes of grapes have been exported to various countries.
Officials from the Kandahar Chamber of Commerce and Investment said the province’s fresh and dried fruits are exported to India, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Canada, and several other countries.
Grape growers and traders in Kandahar said that, in order to prevent their grapes from rotting and going to waste, they are now processing them into raisins.
The deputy head of the Kandahar Chamber of Commerce and Investment has called on Afghan and Pakistani authorities to reopen trade routes so that traders can resume their activities properly and ensure their products reach international markets on time.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
