Paktika farmers seek market for bumper pine nuts yield

SHARAN (Pajhwok): The residents and traders of southeastern Paktika province say 12,000 tonnes of pine nuts had been produced in the province this year.

They say half of the pine nuts are in the storages while half exported to foreign countries under Pakistani trademarks to international markets due to lack of market in the country.

Haji Mohammad Sedique, a resident of Gomal district, told Pajhwok Afghan News 12,000 tonnes of pine nuts had been produced in Paktika this year with half of them still not reached traders.

He added around 6,000 tonnes of pine nuts still available in the stores and if did not dispatched to the markets the farmers and businessmen would suffer millions of afghanis in loss.

Sedique said they sold one kilograms of pine nut for 900 afghanis but Pakistani businessmen sold the same quantity of Afghan pine nuts for 4,000 Pakistani rupees under their own label in international markets.

He accused the government for not paying proper attention to the issue.

Mohammad Hashim, a resident of Gomal district, said the Pakistani militias charged them with 100 rupees per kilogram of pine nut while transfering the dry-fruit to the neighbouring country.

He asked the government to talk to international traders regarding the export of Afghan pine nuts so that the fruit would be exported to the global market under Afghanistan trademarks.

Tela Khan, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry head, said Paktika produced more pine nuts compared to other provinces but they were unable to find proper market.

He, however, said efforts were on to ink agreement with other countries regarding the export of pine nuts.

It is pertinent to mention that Gyan, Sarobai, Gomal, Barmal, Zerok, Omna, Sarhawza, Urgon and Nakah districts of Paktika have a large number of pine nut trees in their mountainous areas.

Some people have recently started chopping the pine nuts trees in the province.

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani during a recent trip to Paktia province announced the establishment of processing factory for pine nuts.

nh

Views: 5