HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): A number of legumes sellers in western Herat province say the importation of similar products from abroad has a negative impact on domestic production, asking the government to increase custom duty on imported products.
Speaking to Pajhwok Afghan News, legumes sellers expressed concern over the lack of market for their products and said their imports from foreign countries had led to a fierce competition in the market, which meant low prices.
Abdul Hamid Jamshid, one of the sellers, said currently he had various grains in his warehouse such as watermelon seeds, lentils, chickpeas, mung beans, etc…
Complaining about the import of such products, Jamshid asked the officials concerned to prevent the import of similar products or increase customs duty on them to control the prices in the market.
He urged increase in customs tariffs on similar goods, saying it would benefit farmers and their year-long efforts would not go in waste.
Haji Mohammad Ismail Masoumi, another seller, said: “A four-kilograms of chickpeas is bought from farmers for 400 afghanis, but Iranian chickpeas are sold in the market for 320 afghanis.”
In addition, he also complained about the prices of lentils and said they were imported from Central Asian countries, creating a major challenge for their business.
On the other hand, Jamaluddin Tahiri, head of guild in Herat, also expressed his concern about possible bankruptcy of legume sellers and farmers. He told Pajhwok that the prices of chickpeas had been stagnated since last two years and currently it had declined to 250afs per kg in the market.
Taheri added that chickpeas, beans, lentils, mung beans, watermelon seeds, etc. were all available in the domestic market, but unfortunately the same goods were imported to the country against low tariff, He said the production of some of these products such as chickpeas, lentils and mung beans in Herat was declining.
However, customs officials in Herat say that the committee is the decision maker about increasing or decreasing tariffs.
Maulvi Mohammad Hamid Ahmad, head of customs, said customs tariffs were changed and increased as usual with the arrival of season of agricultural products.
sa/ma
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