Pakistan Faces Citrus Export Crisis as Afghanistan Trade Route Remains Closed

As Pakistan enters its new citrus harvest season, the country’s fruit industry is grappling with an unprecedented export crisis. The closure of the Afghanistan trade route since mid-October has cut off access to Pakistan’s most critical export market, halting shipments of citrus fruits—particularly to Afghanistan, which accounts for around 60 percent of Pakistan’s total citrus exports.

According to published data, Pakistan’s citrus exports have seen a clear downward trend in recent years; export revenues dropped from $211 million in the 2021 fiscal year to $92.5 million projected for the 2025 fiscal year. In the current year alone, 153,683 tonnes of citrus were exported to Afghanistan. A significant portion of additional exports to countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan also transited through Afghanistan.

Although a temporary exemption has been granted to allow citrus transit through Iran, Pakistani exporters warn that this alternative route cannot compensate for the losses caused by the Afghan market’s closure. As a result, large quantities of kinnow oranges in Pakistan remain unsold, raising new concerns among farmers and exporters across the country.