Afghanistan exports pine nuts worth $27m last year

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) says pine nuts worth 27 million US dollars were exported abroad last year.

Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, a spokesman for the ministry, told Pajhwok Afghan News that over 2,500 tons of pine nuts were exported to foreign countries in the past one year.

He said the pine nuts were exported to China, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the US.

He recalled Afghanistan exported pine nuts worth 49 million US dollars in 1401 solar year.

Jawad said MoCI was trying to provide more facilities to exporters of pine nuts in areas of air corridors and land transportation.

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said the yield of pine nuts significantly decreased last year due to severe drought.

Mirwais Hajizadah, deputy head of ACCI, said: “Our agriculture sector relies on water and pine nut is a valuable fruit.”

kk/ma