PESHAWAR: The import of fresh fruits from Afghanistan to Pakistan through Torkham and Kurram Agency witnessed 46 per cent growth and surged to 245,000 metric tons during the first eight months of the ongoing fiscal year from the previous year’s 168,000 metric tons.
According to Customs Collectorate Peshawar, the value of import of fresh fruits from Afghanistan has increased to Rs 11 billion against Rs 5 billion in the last fiscal year. The duty and taxes on the import of fresh fruits has also jumped from Rs 643 million to Rs 1.8 billion during the current fiscal year, reflecting an increase of 182 percent over the last year.
Among the import, grapes remained the top commodity as around 162,000 metric tons were imported from Afghanistan showing an increase of 42 percent. 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 percent.
Similarly, import of pomegranate has increased from 8,000 metric tons to 11,000 metric tons this year. Overall export of fresh fruits from Pakistan to Afghanistan via Torkham has increased from 73,000 metric tons to 196,000 metric tons, reflecting an increase of 168 percent.
As for exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan, it has increased by 13 percent against the last fiscal year from Peshawar. Kinno export has increased from seven metric ton to 784 metric tons. Banana export with an increase of 45 percent has jumped from 32,000 metric tons to 46,000 metric tons.
