The government is claiming the rate of increase of exports is much higher than imports this year.
Musafer Quqandi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, says trade figures for the first three months of the year show that exports increased some 20 percent. “Most exports are dry and fresh fruits as well as vegetables,” he says optimistic about a continued rise in exports. Afghan agricultural produce is sold in roughly 50 countries.
The Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries confirms the rise. Spokesperson Sayamudin Psarlai believes infrastructural development by the government like the establishing of a rail line to China and air-links to India as well as the facilitation of trade with Central Asia have started to pay off with an increase in export volumes. “Administrative corruption and disloyalty are very high in customs offices, traders are harassed; marketing has always been a problem and the government had promised to appoint commercial attachés in other countries,” says Psarlai.
Top of the list of exports are Afghanistan’s pomegranates, grapes, apples, almonds and pine nuts as well as vegetables.
There was a bountiful harvest of Kandahar’s famed pomegranates this year. Chamber of Commerce and Industries officials say more than 40 percent of the fruit is destined for markets outside the country. Haji Nasrullah Zaheer, the Kandahar head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries says the fruit was safe from natural disasters and pests this year. Last year, pomegranates worth 10 million USD were sold.
Zaheer says France has requested Afghan pomegranates this year. Most of the fruit goes to Pakistan and India.
Grapes are grown in different parts of the country. Gardeners in Parwan province say it has been a good year for the fruit, and they received a “good price”. Mullah Karim, a gardener in Charikar, Parwan, says he grew 28,000 kg grape from 2,000 vines. “Our yields were twice the amount this year compared to previous years. I got five times more money,” he says. “The important thing is that the grapes were safe from disease.”
Apart from Parwan, grapes from Samangan province are famous. Noor Mohammad, head of agriculture affairs, points out that there was 30 percent more grapes this year. “Yields were good in districts like Nakhcheer, Feroz and Hazrat Sultan. We can estimate the total yields at 9,000 tonnes this year. Last year it was 7,000 tonnes,” he says.
Abundant yields
Reports of grape harvests in provinces like Sar-e Pol, Jowzjan and Herat are similarly good. Officials are claiming an overall increase. Engineer Kaneshka Shamal, head of national gardening project of the department of agriculture and irrigation, says that expansion of grape farming under the project has paid off with good harvests in the provincial capital and districts like Sozma Kala, Sangcharak and Gospandi.”
Jowzjan’s agriculture and irrigation department says an additional 246 tonnes of grapes were harvested this year, while in Herat a 20 percent increase was reported.
Mohammad Asef Rahimi, governor of Herat says, “Some 120 types of grape are being researched at the Ardokhan agricultural farm and the land allocated for grapes is 7,960 hectares.” The big vineyards are in the province’s Enjil, Guzara, Pashtoon Zarghoon, Karukh and Zendajan districts.
The head of Chamber of Commerce and Industries in Kandahar, Zaheer, says grapes valued at 2.3 million USD have been exported. Kandahari grapes went to Pakistan, India and United Arabic Emirates.
Kunduz almonds are a major export. Yields this year have increased because of adequate rainfall. Abdul Baseer Faqiri, head of agricultural affairs in Kunduz province says, “We are very happy with the hard work of the farmers.”
