Afghanistan restarts pomegranate exports
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
KABUL, Nov 15 (Commodity Online): After almost 40 years, war torn Afghanistan restarted exporting its iconic pomegranate fruit to international markets.
On Nov 9, officials at country's Kandahar International Airport helped Afghan farmers load first batch of the tasty fruit onto an aircraft destined for the international market in what has been nearly a four-decade lapse in business.
In less than a day, 15 tons of pomegranate fruit will arrive in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and two more shipments are scheduled to depart within the week.
It is an indicator that the historic capability of Kandahar to export their fruits can be revived, said Henry Ensher, US State Department senior civilian representative in Kandahar.
State Department members are here helping Afghans create a stable, economically-sound country and are working specifically with the USAID to bridge export gaps between Afghanistan and the rest of the world.
On Nov 9, officials at country's Kandahar International Airport helped Afghan farmers load first batch of the tasty fruit onto an aircraft destined for the international market in what has been nearly a four-decade lapse in business.
In less than a day, 15 tons of pomegranate fruit will arrive in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and two more shipments are scheduled to depart within the week.
It is an indicator that the historic capability of Kandahar to export their fruits can be revived, said Henry Ensher, US State Department senior civilian representative in Kandahar.
State Department members are here helping Afghans create a stable, economically-sound country and are working specifically with the USAID to bridge export gaps between Afghanistan and the rest of the world.