Kandahar Pomegranate Exports Face Packaging Hurdles as Trader Plans 5,000-Ton Shipment

Exports of 5,000 tons of pomegranates from Kandahar to Central Asian and East Asian markets are facing packaging challenges.

A Russian trader who recently visited Kandahar plans to export 5,000 tons of the province’s pomegranates to Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Japan and South Korea. According to the trader, Kandahar pomegranates have many followers in global markets because of their unique taste and the absence of chemical substances, but the lack of proper packaging is a major obstacle to expanding exports.

Meanwhile, Abdul Ahad Siddiqui, head of Kandahar’s trade and investment department, said efforts are under way to facilitate exports through land and air routes, although some private companies are not cooperating sufficiently with traders.

Previously, Kandahar pomegranates were exported mostly through Pakistan, but due to restrictions on transit routes, traders are now looking for alternative channels that would help expand Afghanistan’s exports of fresh and dried fruit to international markets.