Pine nut traders eye modern processing tools, global market

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Agriculture and Livestock Department officials of eastern Nangarhar province say pine nuts yield has increased in the province.

While the dried fruit traders demand modern equipment for processing, harvesting and packaging and access to international markets in order to fully benefit from the pine nuts yield.

They say pine nuts are still collected by using traditional methods which damage the yield and trees.

Esa Jan Atiq Abdiani, a senior official of the agriculture department, told Pajhwok Afghan News so far 1,155 tons of pine cones have been collected and the pure pine nuts yield is estimated at 155 tons this year.

He said his department had increased attention to pine nut forests and they expected higher yield this year. “There are natural pine nut forests in Hesarak, Khogyani, Pachiragam, Batikot, Achin and Spin Ghar districts and currently the fruit is being collected from these forests”.

Meanwhile, pine nut traders urge the government to find international market for the dried fruit.

Ahmad Wali, one of the workers who use traditional methods to separate pine nuts from its cones, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Rains have a bit damaged the yield, but the quality of Nangarhar pine nuts is better, we want the government to facilitate the export of pine nuts to international markets”.

Nasim Khan, a trader, said pine nuts were still harvested by using traditional tools which affected the yield and trees. This problem could be resolved if the government provided modern tools, he added.

“We usually use traditional tools which harm the trees, we should use modern tools instead”.

Ahmad Raees, another worker said, if modern factories were established for processing pine nuts, many people would find permanent job opportunities and the quality and price of the fruit would increase.

He added: “We come here to work and find some food for our families. We ask the government to create more alternative job opportunities for us”.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) says the first shipment of pine nuts worth $400,000 has been exported to Germany from western Herat province yesterday.

The MoCI tweeted12 tons of pine nuts with a reasonable price and standard packaging were exported to the European country.

Earlier in the year, about 20 tons of pine nuts were exported to China through Dubai. The annual value of Afghan pine nuts is estimated at two billion dollars.

aw/ma