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.