KABUL, Afghanistan – The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said export of pine nuts outside Afghanistan will increase, as the efforts are underway to tackle post-pandemic challenges.
The ministry will facilitate the export of pine nuts via air-corridor and land transit to other countries, mainly China.
“Previously there was COVID-19, now efforts are ongoing to continue as normal,” said the minister of Commerce and Industry, Nooruddin Azizi, as TOLOnews quoted.
Highlighting the current status of exports, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment said more than one thousand tons of pine nuts were exported overseas within the first quarter of this year.
“From the first quarter of this year 600 tons of pine nuts have been exported via ground and 400 tons via air corridor,” said Shafiqullah Ataye, chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment.
The goods will be initially exported to Tashkent, Uzbekistan for quality check. Then, it will be transferred to the China through air corridors.
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Meanwhile, the pine nut producers union expressed concerned over this year’s yield, showing a 60% decrease.
“This year the yield of pine nuts has decreased 60 percent,” said Deldar Zadran, head of the Pine Nuts Producer’s Union.
“This year, the smuggling of pine nuts has been banned by the government, and all exports are exported in the name of Afghanistan,” said Mahboob Ullah Mohammadi, a trader.
Pine nuts are naturally grown in the wild in Laghman, Kunar, Nangarhar, Khost, Paktia, and Paktika provinces of Afghanistan.
