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History in the making as 18 tons of pine nuts to be shipped overland to Italy

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(Last Updated On: September 22, 2022)

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said Thursday that a local company was preparing to export 18 tons of pine nuts to Italy overland.

According to ministry officials, the private company meets international standards and will dispatch its consignment within the next few days.

Officials also said in the first three months of this year, $19 million worth of pine nuts was exported and that there is a growing demand for the local produce.

It is estimated that Afghanistan harvests around 30,000 tons of pine nuts every year.

However, this Italian-bound consignment will for the first time be shipped overland via Turkey.

“This is a new export by land, which will be exported from Afghanistan to Turkey first, and then to Italy, and now we have the capacity to prepare our products according to the standards of European markets,” said Abdulsalam Akhundzada Jawad, the spokesman of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

In the past, pine nut distributors have complained about the export process as the produce was first sent to Pakistan and from there sold on to international buyers.

The Chamber of Industries and Mines says that 30,000 tons of pine nut oil is produced annually in the country and is exported to China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, India and Pakistan by air and land.

“We consider it important to export Afghan black pine nuts to Italy, and since there is a high export capacity in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Industry and Trade should provide the conditions for export,” said Mohammad Karim Azimi, executive director of the Kabul Chamber of Industries and Mines.

Economic experts say that if the Ministry of Industry and Trade solves the transit problems faced by exporters, Afghanistan will be able to substantially increase sales of dry and fresh fruits to international markets.

“Exporting black pine nuts to European markets is very important. Besides black pine nuts, we have other very important trade and export items in the country, which should be provided for export, which is considered very important for the Afghan economy,” said Taj Mohammad Tala, an economic analyst.

Following the collapse of the former government, air cargo corridors used for exporting fresh produce were stopped. However, business owners are hopeful that newly launched overland trade corridors will now fill the gap and open up even wider markets.

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Members of private security meet with Kazakhstan counterparts

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(Last Updated On: September 27, 2023)

A bilateral meeting between members of the private sectors of Afghanistan and Kazakhstan was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on Tuesday with the aim of attracting more investment in the country.

At the meeting, representatives of the private sector of the two countries discussed investments in various sectors including the non-alcoholic beverages sector, gemstones stones and minerals, chemical fertilizers, car batteries, clothing and textiles, petroleum products, flour and wheat, the ministry said.

They also discussed tourism, investment in restaurant businesses and food, the ministry added.

Furthermore, the businessmen and investors of Kazakhstan thanked the Afghans for their hospitality and described Afghanistan as a safe place and a suitable environment for business and investment.

Representatives of the private sector of Kazakhstan spoke about holding exhibitions in Kabul, Balkh and Kandahar provinces, adding that in the near future they plan to hold exhibitions of Afghan manufacturing industries in Kazakhstan and an exhibition of Kazakh products in Afghanistan.

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Female entrepreneurs at Kabul women’s market say businesses are doing well

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(Last Updated On: September 26, 2023)

A number of female entrepreneurs at the special women’s market in Kabul say their businesses are improving day-by-day and that they have also set up online shopping opportunities for women.

These women say they are happy to have their own market where they can sell their own goods.

“Our clothes are Afghani Gand (traditional dress). Our sellers and buyers are both women. We are happy that such a market has been established in Kabul,” said Ferozah Qasimi, a woman entrepreneur.

“The good thing about this market for women and girls is that they can easily and calmly use the green space here, relax their minds and buy the things they need from one place,” said another woman entrepreneur.

“My request to government and foreign institutions is to join hands with us, to cooperate with us so that we can make further progress in our work,” said another businesswoman.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce says there is no limit to women entrepreneurs.

“We are seeing very good developments in this chamber which is creating markets and creating expos,” said Salma Yousafzai, head of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) spokesperson Abdulsalam Jawad Akhundzada stated that the ministry supports businesswomen.

“The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has always supported women entrepreneurs and has always supported them in all aspects of trade and industry,” said Akhundzada.

“Thousands of women in 34 provinces of Afghanistan are actually working in various sectors of industry and investment,” he added.

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Foreign cash aid and tight restrictions on afghani helps ‘stabilize’ local currency

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(Last Updated On: September 26, 2023)

Billions of US dollars, flowing into Afghanistan, in the form of cash aid, is helping to stabilize the local currency so much that the AFN has been propelled to the top of the global rankings this quarter.

According to America’s Bloomberg news agency, the afghani (AFN) has maintained its value against foreign currencies, especially the US dollar, on the back of the cash aid and other factors.

Additional actions are also helping to stabilize the currency including the Islamic Emirate’s ban on the use of Pakistani rupees and US dollars on the local market, and an increase in cross border trade, Bloomberg reported.

Currently, the AFN is trading at just under 80 afghanis to the dollar.

The international community has shipped in on over $40 million dollars a week since the fall of the former government. This money is handled by the UN and used for aid in the country.

Bloomberg reported however that the cash aid and increased trade with Afghanistan’s neighbors has propelled Afghanistan’s currency to the top of global rankings this quarter — an unusual spot for a poverty-stricken country.

The IEA’s tight restrictions on taking dollars out of the country, banning online trading and imposing prison sentences on those who break the rules, have also contributed to this stability, Bloomberg reported.

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