KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Pakistan gets a greater financial advantage of Afghanistan’s exports due to lack of fumigation and other facilities in the country, Kandahar businessmen and industrialists complained on Thursday.
Under international mechanisms, agricultural products should go through the fumigation process before being exported to other countries.
Fumigation keeps agricultural products from being infected. But it doesn’t cost as much as Afghan exporters are required to pay.
Kandahar Industries and Mining Chamber chief Syed Sarwar Amani told Pajhwok Afghan News Kandahar agriculture products — dried and fresh fruits, grains, herbals and other agricultural produce — are known worldwide.
But the problem is the lack of facilities inside the country to ensure standard exports of its items, the official believes.
Amani said Pakistan, India, China, Iran and some Arab countries wanted to buy Afghan products but these items should be fumigated.
He said the fumigation process was not expensive and required a little investment. The government, however, has not taken steps to put in place such facilities.
He said the matter was often shared with agriculture officials, who pledged to take practical steps in this regard.
Amani noted due to the absence of export facilities inside the country, businessmen conducted fumigation and control processes in Pakistan.
He blamed the neighbouring country for charging them extra amounts.
“Recently, cotton exports from Kandahar have surged. On reaching Pakistan, the cotton is fumigated, one bale for Rs300 while the fair rate is Rs10,” he said.
Without going into details, he claimed Afghanistan’s agricultural exports were more beneficial for Pakistan.
Mohammad Sediq, an exporter of agricultural products, asked the government to install fumigation facilities at all ports.
Around 200 trucks carry agricultural products via Spin Boldak to Pakistan, where each truck is charged 5,000 to 15,000 rupees.
He argued if the government provided this facility domestically, the amount that currently went to Pakistan would end up in Afghanistan’s exchequer.
Kandahar Chamber of Commerce Assistant head Eng. Abdul Baqi Beena said Afghanistan’s fruits were recently stopped at Wagah border from entering India because the items had not been fumigated.
The issue was shared with Kandahar Agriculture officials but nobody bothered responding to Pajhwok’s question.
nh/mud
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