
Reduced exports to Pakistan have increased the prices of Afghan fresh fruits manifold
RAWALPINDI: To bypass Pakistan, landlocked Afghanistan has adopted new air corridors not only with India but also with Turkey, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Due to the Iran-USA tensions, the Chabahar port facility is not fully operational.
As such, India and Afghanistan have opened another air corridor, Kabul to Mumbai, for export of Afghan fruits and spices to India. Afghanistan has exported 10,640 tonnes of fresh produce, fresh and dry and dried fruits, herbal medicines and handicrafts worth more than $20 million through the previous Kabul-New-Delhi corridor, operational since mid-June.
Through the Kabul-Beijing corridor, Afghanistan is exporting 20 tonnes of pine nuts daily to China until the season ends. The Afghan President has described pine nuts, pistachio nuts, and cummin seeds as ‘the hidden treasures’ of Afghanistan.
Afghan businessmen and traders have begun to export saffron and semi-precious stones to different countries, including China, through new freight air routes. Reduced exports to Pakistan have already increased the prices of Afghan fresh fruits manifold.
M A Hameed
Published in The Express Tribune, July 21st, 2019.
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