Task Force Formed to Boost Afghanistan’s Dried Fruit Exports
A meeting organized by the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, bringing together several representatives of dried fruit exporters, was held to assess existing challenges and opportunities in the sector. The primary objective was to form a dedicated task force to support and strengthen the country’s dried fruit exports.
Participants, including key stakeholders from the dried fruit industry, highlighted persistent issues related to visa processing, banking services, and logistical barriers via land and air routes, factors that have significantly hindered the export process.
As a result, the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock formally established a specialized task force to coordinate efforts and address these challenges.
Businessman Mahboobullah Mohammadi said: “There are problems in every area, and we can use this task force to solve our issues with various institutions such as banks, government offices, exporters, and markets.”
Similarly, another businessman, Omid Haidari, said: “We suggested incentives should be provided to increase exports and to establish large warehouses and cold storage facilities to develop this sector.”
At the same time, the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, acknowledging these challenges, assured farmers and traders of cooperation in this field.
They added that the Waga route was one of the key trade routes for exporting the country’s dried fruits, but now efforts are underway to find alternative routes.
The Head of the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, Khan Mohammad Forotan, said: “The Waga port is an important land route for us, and with its closure, prices have risen somewhat, but not drastically. Meanwhile, much of the work has shifted to the air corridor, and many of their issues have been resolved.”
Additionally, the Deputy Head of the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, Mirwais Hajizadah, said: “We are pleased that traders came today and, based on their proposal, a committee was formed. They shared their challenges related to Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, and Hairatan routes with us, and we will convey these issues to the relevant authorities through this committee.”
This meeting was held at a time when the Deputy Economic Office of the Prime Minister had previously instructed Ariana Afghan Airlines to reduce cargo transport rates for dried fruit exports, to support the country’s dried fruit sector.
