Business
Afghanistan’s agricultural exports total $2 billion in first four months of 2023
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock says the volume of agricultural exports from Afghanistan in the first four months of this year totaled $2 billion dollars.
According to officials in this ministry, the export volume of agricultural products has increased significantly compared to last year.
“In the first four months of the year, $2 billion worth of exports were made, the largest part of which is agricultural products, and this year, when it is now the fruit season and exports have started, it is expected that the amount of exports will be higher than in the past,” said Misbahuddin Mostain, the spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
The Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock also says a good amount of agricultural products are regularly exported, although problems do arise from time-to-time.
“In the export sector, our traders were able to export, but recently, due to the blocking of the Torkham crossing and the blocking of the Kabul-Jalalabad highway, our traders could not continue their exports. The businessman has suffered, and we can share the exact export figures only when fruits and vegetables are harvested at the end of the season,” said Mirwais Hajizada, the deputy head of the chamber of agriculture and livestock.
Experts believe that Afghanistan is an agricultural country, which provides jobs for hundreds of thousands of people. They also believe the more produce exported, the better the chance of growing Afghanistan’s economy.
However, an Iranian official has said that in the first six months of this year, Tehran has exported 35,195 tons of agricultural products to Afghanistan through the Dogharon Customs crossing. According to Iranian media reports, the country’s agricultural director added that in the first half of this year, 4,467 tons of agricultural products were imported from Afghanistan to Iran via this route.
Trade in goods and services between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan declined by 16.7 percent to £70 million in the 12 months to the end of June 2026, according to the latest figures published by the UK Department for Business and Trade.
The department’s trade and investment factsheet, released on November 6, shows that bilateral trade fell by £14 million compared with the same period a year earlier.
UK exports to Afghanistan totalled £57 million, down 18.6 percent or £13 million, while imports from Afghanistan stood at £13 million, representing a 7.1 percent decline.
The figures show that goods accounted for £32 million, or 45.7 percent, of total trade, while services made up the remaining £38 million, or 54.3 percent.
UK exports to Afghanistan included beverages, pharmaceutical products, dairy products, road vehicles and industrial machinery.
Vegetables and fruit were the leading Afghan goods exports to the UK, worth £1.7 million. Clothing and textile fabrics were also among the main products exported.
The report ranks Afghanistan as the UK’s 166th-largest trading partner, accounting for less than 0.1 percent of the UK’s total trade during the period.
Business
Afghanistan and Russia discuss expanding trade and investment ties
Both sides highlighted the importance of closer cooperation between the Afghan and Russian private sectors.
Afghanistan and Russia have discussed ways to strengthen bilateral trade, expand private-sector cooperation and attract new investment during a meeting in Kabul.
Inayatullah Sediqzi, Deputy Head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) for Services, met with Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov on the sidelines of an event marking Russia’s National Unity Day on Wednesday, November 4.
The event was hosted by the Russian Embassy in Kabul.
According to a statement from the ACCI, discussions focused on boosting economic relations, increasing bilateral trade and creating greater opportunities for businesspeople and investors from both countries.
Both sides highlighted the importance of closer cooperation between the Afghan and Russian private sectors, exploring new areas of economic partnership and establishing stronger direct links between their respective business communities.
The discussions reflect Afghanistan’s continued efforts to expand economic engagement with regional and international partners, with increased trade, private-sector development and foreign investment remaining key priorities.
Afghanistan’s pine nut exports increased by 69 percent in the first seven months of the current solar year 1405 compared with the same period last year, reaching $72 million, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) says.
According to chamber officials, the value of pine nut exports stood at $42 million during the first seven months of last year. The product has been exported to European countries, India and, particularly, China.
Meanwhile, officials at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce say they have taken steps since the beginning of the year to expand pine nut exports and identify new markets for the product.
However, some economic experts say pine nuts are among Afghanistan’s key export products and that relevant government ministries, particularly the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, should strengthen efforts to promote the product and secure access to new markets.
Afghan pine nuts are also exported to China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Australia, Turkey, Austria and Kuwait.
Experts emphasize that pine nut packaging should be improved to meet the requirements and standards of different international markets in order to further increase exports.
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