Afghan Grape Exports Drop After Pakistan Border Closures
Kandahar's grape farmers face huge losses as border closures block trade with Pakistan, their biggest market
KABUL, Afghanistan – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – Afghan grape exports have dropped sharply this year as the closed Pakistan border cuts off farmers from their biggest market. In Kandahar’s Zhari district, warehouses that once buzzed with activity now sit half empty, as growers scramble to find buyers for their fresh harvest.
The grape season came at a bad time. Fighting along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has dragged on for months, leaving trade routes blocked and hundreds dead. Islamabad blames Kabul for sheltering militants, a claim the Taliban government denies.
With exports frozen, farmers are flooding the local market instead. This has pushed prices down fast. Many are now drying their grapes into raisins, hoping to save what they can. But even raisin prices have fallen by more than half.
Sakhi Jan, a grape farmer in Zhari, says his family of ten is barely getting by. He used to earn far more for the same amount of raisins. Now, he calls the situation the hardest he has ever faced.
The numbers tell the story clearly. Last year, five provinces exported over 44,000 tons of grapes worth nearly $14 million, almost all to Pakistan. This year, only 256 tons have left the country, worth just $100,000.
Traders and workers are feeling the pain too. One grape picker said his orchard employed 1,500 workers last year. This season, only 15 remain on the job.
Farmers and exporters are calling on both governments to reopen the crossings soon. For many families in southern Afghanistan, their livelihood depends on it.
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