Herat businessmen want ban on yarn export removed

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Some yarn sellers in western Herat province have complained against the suspension of yarn export and said the move left negative impact on producers and workers associated with this industry.

They said yarn export remained suspended from the past two years which resulted in the significant decline of yarn rate and demand in the market.

Haji Bismillah, one of the yarn producers and sellers in Herat City, said in the past he produced three to four tonnes of yarn each month but currently the yarn market had stagnated due to the suspension of its export.

He said in the past four kilograms of yarn were purchased at 1,200 afs and sold at 1,350 afs but currently the same quantity of yarn is sold from 700 afs to 800 afs.

He asked the government to lift ban on the export of yarn so that they could increase their production.

Haji Bismillah said he alone had provided work for about one 1,500 families in the field of yarn processing, and as a result of current market condition these families also unemployed.

Noor Ahmad Hassanzada, another yarn seller, told Pajhwok Afghan News he sold one kilogram of yarn against 350 afs before but now the rate of one kilogram yarn dropped to 200 afs.

In the past, Noor Ahmad said he sold bags of yarn but now he sold it in kilos.

Jamaluddin Tahiri, head of the Herat Jalaban Union, said from the past two years the export of yarn is banned by the government, earlier, Afghanistan’s yarn exported to India, Pakistan and other countries.

Expressing his concern about the condition of the yarn market in this province, he added that, while Herat yarn businesspersons have bought all the yarn available in the province with the hope of resuming exports abroad, but the export of this product has been stopped until now. He added the price of four kilograms of yarn dropped from 1,800 afs to 800 afs and this situation badly hurt the traders.

Currently, yarn demand in the local market was very limited, and with the suspension of the export of this product, many families in Herat, Badghis and Farah districts have lost their jobs.

Mawlavi Bashir Mohammad Seerat, head of the provincial Commerce and Industry Department, said there was high demand for the production of carpet inside the country but unfortunately due to the lack of proper processing facility the sale of Afghan carpet worldwide had reduced.

He said market situation would be examined and if there was low demand for yarn in the local market its export would be allowed.

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