Kandahar exports pomegranates worth more than $48m this year

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok): Pomegranates worth more than $48 million were exported to foreign countries from southern Kandahar province this season, provincial Chamber of Commerce and Investment officials say.

Abdul Baqi Bina, deputy head of the chamber, told Pajhwok Afghan News that this year’s pomegranate harvest was bumper and the fruit’s exports were many times higher than last year.

He added: "This year, 88,625 tons of pomegranates worth 48,866,903 US dollars were exported to foreign countries from Kandahar and were sold at a satisfactory price.”

The bulk of pomegranates were exported to Pakistan and India and some to Russia and the United Arab Emirates, he said.

Bina said last year’s export of the fruit stood at only 650 tons worth 383,194 US dollars due to the regime change, closure of roads, banking restrictions and others. This year too, Pakistan closed the crossings frequently and as a result some traders suffered losses.

Muhammad Sadiq, a pomegranate trader, said most of the pomegranates were exported to Pakistan and the country each year created problems for traders during harvest season.

He said Pakistan closed the Spin Boldak-Chaman crossing twice this year for several days during the export of pomegranates, inflicting losses on traders.

Fazal Karim, who owns a pomegranate orchard in Arghandab district, said the harvest was good despite drought. He said the trees were mostly unaffected by diseases and pests this year.

He believed the pomegranate harvest and export would have further increased if there had been no drought.

“There were fewer pest attacks this season. The yield was a bit reduced due to the drought, but its quality was good and sold at a good price.”

Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock officials say this year’s total pomegranate harvest was estimated at 170,000 tons but drought reduced it by 10 percent.

Mawlavi Shams Rahman, the department head, told Pajhwok pomegranate orchards existed on about 10,000 hectares of land in Kandahar and the harvest reduced in some districts this year due to drought, unseasonal rains and floods.

Currently, four and a half kilograms of pomegranates are sold for 400 to 600 afghanis in Kandahar city.

Farmers say if cold storage facilities are constructed in Kandahar, it would enable them to store pomegranates and then sell the fruit at a good price in winter.

ma