The import of fresh fruits from Afghanistan to Pakistan via Torkham and Kurram Agency has increased to 2,45,000 metric tons during the first eight months of the current fiscal year.
According to a press release issued here by the customs department Friday, around 168,000 metric tons of fresh fruit was imported to Pakistan from Afghanistan in the previous fiscal year 2014-15 showing an increase of 46 per cent. As a result, the value of import of fresh fruit from Afghanistan had increased to Rs 11 billion as against Rs 5 billion in the last fiscal year, he added.
The duty and taxes on the imports of fresh fruit has also jumped from Rs 643 million to Rs 1.8 billion during the current fiscal year, reflecting an increase of 182 per cent over the last year.
Among the import, grapes remained the top commodity as around 1,62,000 metric tons of grapes were imported from Afghanistan showing an increase of 42 per cent. The import of apple has also witnessed tremendous increase which is 32,000 metric tons against the last year’s import of 8,000 tones, showing an increase of 297 per cent. Similarly, the import of pomegranate has increased from 8,000 metric tons to 11,000 metric tons this year.
As for exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan, it has increased by 13 per cent as against the last fiscal year from Peshawar. The export of Kino has increased from 7 metric tons to 784 metric tons. The export of banana, showing an increase of 45 per cent, has jumped from 32,000 metric tons to 46,000 metric tons.
As a whole the export of fresh fruit from Pakistan to Afghanistan via Torkham has increased from 73,000 metric tons to 1,96,000 metric tons, reflecting an increase of 168 per cent.
