د تېر کال پرتله د وچې میوې د صادراتو د کچې زیاتوالی

Dried fruits such as raisins, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and dried mulberries are among Afghanistan’s key export products and have found strong markets both regionally and globally.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has announced that the value of Afghanistan’s dried fruit exports has significantly increased this year. India, China, Pakistan, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Italy, and the United Kingdom are among the main destinations for these exports.

According to Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce:
“In the first eight months of the current year, the value of dried fruit exports reached 222 million dollars, whereas in the first eight months of the previous year (2024), this figure was 179 million dollars.”

However, the Dried Fruit Exporters Union says that traders continue to face serious challenges in the export process.

The closure of the Torkham border crossing, high air freight costs, and problems with money transfers are major obstacles to dried fruit exports.
Union officials warn that if these issues are not resolved, there is a risk of losing key markets such as India.

Khalid Rahmani, the spokesperson for the Kabul Dried Fruit Exporters Union, said: “The main challenges we are currently facing are the lack of charter cargo flights, instability, high ticket prices, and certain administrative and technical issues.”

A trader, Mahboobullah Mohammadi, added: “The biggest challenge we have been dealing with for a long time is the banking problem. Bureaucracy within institutions is also among the key issues exporters face.”

Although Afghanistan is considered one of the major producers of dried fruits in the region, economic experts emphasize that for sustainable export growth, investments must be made in building cold storage facilities, improving packaging standards, ensuring affordable transportation, and expanding access to international markets.