Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) expects pomegranates export to drop by 50% this year. Its officials have cited high custom tariffs on pomegranates from Pakistan as the major factor behind the considerable fall in pomegranate exports. Afghanistan exported up to 70,000 tons of pomegranate last year and only about 25,000 tons this year so far.
Farmers have voiced their concerns about the lack of proper markets for their products and have called on the government to find new markets. Reports from Afghanistan had emerged earlier this month that Pakistan was charging up to $1,913 per load during the harvest season, a threefold increase from previous years.
However, Pakistan's embassy in Kabul on Wednesday rejected the reports. 'The government of Pakistan has not implemented any such measure. In fact, from last month, Pakistan is providing 24/7 services on its side of the Torkham border to facilitate rapid distribution of Afghan exports of fruits and vegetables to Pakistani markets,' Pakistan's embassy in Kabul said in a press release on Wednesday.
