KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Afghanistan’s grapes reached India on Wednesday through Chabahar port in Iran for the first time, a trader representative said, terming it a landmark achievement.
Eng. Abdul Baqi Bina, deputy head of the Chamber of Commerce of southern Kandahar province, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the new experience of exporting grapes was successful as the Kandahar grapes reached Mumbai city of India without any problem.
He called exports through Chabahar port a great development and said more routes meant more facilities.
“Chabahar port is good for both exports and imports and besides that, traders can send their products not only to India but to other countries as well”, he said.
Bina said Afghanistan previously exported its products mostly through Pakistan, where Afghan traders most often faced huge losses.
He said previously fruits and other products would be exported to India through Wagah border while products through Chabahar Port reached Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
“This route is better because our goods reach Delhi, Mumbai and other major cities of India”, he added.
Haji Nanai Agha, head of Kandahar Fresh Fruits Union, also said that fruit exports through Chabahar Port was a great development.
He said traders in Kandahar had long been facing problems about export routes.
Kandahar traders exported dried fruits through Chabahar Port few days ago and it was a successful experience, he said.
Businessmen now try to export their products to other parts of the world through this port, he added.
Commerce Minister Ajmal Ahmadi tweeted that Afghanistan for the first time exported 20 tons of grapes to India through Chabahar Port.
He said 100 tons of different products were exported to India via the port in the past few days.
Ahmadi said 700 tons of products were exported to India since the port was activated. Afghanistan would also start export of apples to India in near future, he concluded.
Mds/ma
