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Efforts ongoing to export Afghanistan’s fresh fruits to new markets: Ministry
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce says in addition to existing markets, Afghanistan’s fresh fruits will also be exported this year to new markets in regional countries.
Officials from the ministry added that fresh fruits will be exported to new regional markets including Russia, Central Asian countries, and the Gulf states.
They emphasized their efforts to increase the volume of exports this year compared to the previous year.
Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, stated: “We anticipate exporting our fresh fruits and agricultural products to Russia, Central Asian countries, Arab countries, as well as to India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other nations. We are prepared for this.”
Meanwhile, members of the private sector consider South Asian countries to be the most suitable markets for Afghanistan’s dried and fresh fruits.
However, they stress that due to certain challenges, the government must take steps to find new markets for national exports.
“Good opportunities have been created through customs tariffs. For example, Uzbekistan has reduced customs duties on Afghan exports by 80 percent. Our traders can take advantage of this opportunity to establish a trade corridor between Kazakhstan and Russia,” said Mirwais Hajizada, deputy head of the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock.
This comes as, due to the lack of suitable foreign markets, Afghan farmers are often forced to sell their produce such as watermelon, melon, apples, apricots, grapes, and other fruits at very low prices in local markets every year.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has announced that Mahdi Ansary, a reporter for the Afghan News Agency (AFKA), has been released after serving one and a half years in Bagram prison.
In a statement welcoming his release, AFJC emphasized that the fundamental rights of this journalist—who had been tried and imprisoned on charges of cooperating with exiled and foreign media—were “seriously” violated.
Ansari was arrested on October 5, 2023, after returning from his workplace in Kabul.
He was sentenced on January 1, 2024 by the Kabul Primary Court to one and a half years in prison on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Emirate.”
Farid Dehqan, spokesperson for the Khas Kunar police command, said that rocket attacks by the Pakistani military regime are still ongoing in the province.
These attacks come despite earlier announcements by the Pakistani military of a temporary ceasefire for Eid.
Afghanistan’s Chief of Armed Forces, Fasihuddin Fitrat, said in his Eid message that Pakistan’s military regime has violated the ceasefire along the Durand line.
According to the Eid message released by the Ministry of Defense, several civilians were killed in attacks carried out by Pakistani forces in border areas.
Fitrat added that the continuation of Pakistan’s attacks despite the ceasefire “demonstrates a lack of commitment and deception” on the part of the country.
He stressed that the Islamic Emirate has refrained from retaliatory action in order to prevent further deterioration of the situation and has remained committed to the ceasefire.
However, he warned that if such attacks are repeated, “the ceasefire will become meaningless,” and the Islamic Emirate will deliver a “decisive response” to Pakistan’s actions.
It is worth noting that the Islamic Emirate and Pakistan reached a temporary ceasefire on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr through mediation by Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
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