The price of the fruit imported from Afghanistan is many times lower than it was in the previous years. According to Afghan traders, before the Taliban takeover, most fruits – including grapes, apples and pomegranates – used to be dispatched to India at a higher rate with less tax, but now, with the closure of air service and the termination of trade with India, fruits are being dispatched to Pakistan.
A long-time staff member at the Peshawar fruit market, said Kandahari pomegranates have been coming to Pakistan uninterruptedly this year. According to him, the best quality pomegranate is available in the market at Rs120 to Rs130 per kilogram, while the second-grade pomegranate could be found at Rs100 per kg, which is easily sold at Rs120 per kilo in the retail market.
A fruit trader who trades with Afghanistan and Pakistan on the Torkham border, stated that although the benefits to Afghan farmers remain low, hundreds of fruit trailers from Kandahar to Kabul and then from Kabul to Torkham reach Pakistan on a weekly basis.
