Traders demand market for pine nut sale

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Traders say pine nut harvest has several times increased this year compared to the previous years in the southeast, especially in Khost province, but its price has decreased unprecedentedly.

They say the main reason behind the low rate is change in the political system that saw air corridor closing with China, as well as trade and commerce routes with many other countries.

Traders say if the air corridor between China and Afghanistan is not reopened, they will have to smuggle the precious dried fruit to Pakistan and sell it there at a very low price.

Afzal Khan, a pine nut trader, told Pajhwok Afghan News the smuggling of the fruit had been banned in the last two years and was exported abroad, resulting in its high price.

According to traders, the price of 50 kilograms of pine nuts this year is around 50,000 afghanis and 100,000 Pakistani rupees, which is half compared to the last year.

Abdullah Khan, another farmer, told Pajhwok that although his harvest had doubled this year compared to last year due to heavy rains, he was worried about the low price.

Meanwhile, Faridullah, a member of the pine nut trader’s association in Khost, told Pajhwok that about 20,000 metric tonnes of pine nuts were exported to China and other countries from Khost, Paktia and Paktika last year alone.

Badrak is one of the individuals who previously worked as a driver at a private girls’ school in the province, but now the girls’ schools is closed, he is unemployed and now he spends every morning with his three sons in processing pine nuts.

“We are happy that administrative corruption has ended with the new government, but there is no work, if jobs are created it would be better,” he said.

According to the data, Afghanistan produces an average of 40,000 metric tons of pine nuts annually, of which about 30,000 metric tons are obtained from the forests of Khost, Paktia and Paktika provinces.

sa/ma