| | Afghanistan exports 33,000 metric tons of fresh fruit Pajhwok
09/29/2006
By Zainab Muhamamdi
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KABUL - Afghanistan has exported 33,000 metric tons of fresh fruit, 19,000 metric tons of dry fruit and more than 10,000 tons of vegetable during the past six months to foreign countries. According to head of the improvement of exports department under the commerce ministry Hidayatullah Watanyar said the figures had showed a pretty increase as compared with last year. In an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, he said Afghanistan last year exported 42,000 tons fresh of fruit and 43,000 tons of dry fruit. He said $40 million were obtained with export of dry fruits such as raisin, pistachio, almond, and walnuts while more than $6 million were received with fresh fruits such as grapes, melons, apples, apricots and watermelons. Vegetables worth $1 have also been exported this year that is a good increase as compared with last year export. Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arabic Emirates and Ukraine are the main customers of Afghan fresh fruit, Russia, India, Pakistan, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, UK, UAE, Turkey, Africa, KSA, Spain and Australia are the main importers of dry fruit from Afghanistan and Pakistan and UK are buying vegetables. Watanyar said provision of more facilities to the traders resulted in increase in production of more fruit this year. Following the president decree a commission comprising ministers of commerce, public works, interior and agriculture and irrigation and the Kabul municipality was formed to get international market for fruit. One great facility was opening of Mahipar Highwaylinking Kabul with eastern Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan during night for trucks. Receiving bribes and hard search of the loaded trucks by some security checkpost was also eased that had improved marketing of fruit, he added. Also, Pakistan's cooperation with the truckers had facilitated the timely supply of fruit, Watanyar contended. He said previously fruit would be unloaded on Pak-Afghan border in Torkham and would be transported by carts 200 metres inside Pakistan. Likewise, the fruit would be unloaded five times for search purposes till Waga Port by Pakistani authorities, he said, adding such excessive checking often damaged fruit before reaching its destination. Afghan officials took up the issue with Pakistani officials and requested them not to stop loaded trucks having border-pass cards, he maintained. The report of increase in fruit export comes at times when farmers are complaining of decrease in its yield because of sever droughts in country parts. Officials in the agriculture and irrigation ministry said sole reason of great increase was not greater yield but more facilities granted to the farmers. Fruit, especially dry fruit, is Afghanistan's most-favored and the top production in foreign markets.
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