Afghan union urges ban on pine nut smuggling

KABUL, Oct. 6: Afghanistan Pine Nuts Union on Wednesday called on the newly established Taliban administration to ban the smuggling of dried fruits including pine nuts out of the central Asian country.

The union said in a statement that a pause in the economic cycle of the country has led to the unemployment of thousands of people, which in part resulted in the smuggling of agricultural products including pine nuts out of the country. "Afghanistan Pine Nuts Union, according to its strategic plan, wants to export the pine nuts to the world markets like before," the statement said, asking the Taliban administration for a ban on the smuggling.

The union also asked for re-opening the financial link between Afghanistan and the rest of the world and resuming the air corridor to facilitate the export of pine nuts to China and European countries. In 2019, Afghanistan formally launched the pine nut export via an air corridor to a number of countries, including China.

Pine nut trees grow in eight eastern provinces of Afghanistan, including Khost, Paktia, Paktika, Kapisa, Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan and Laghman, according to the pine nuts union. According to it, there are 40 registered small and medium-sized pine nut trading companies in the mountainous country, with more than 50,000 local farmers, mostly women, involved in growing and harvesting the profitable seeds from nearby forests and hilltops.