Paktika pine nuts business in shambles

SHARAN (Pajhwok): The pine nuts businessmen in southeastern Paktika province complained lack of suitable market inflicted around 6 million afghanis losses on their business.

Most of pine nuts businessmen sell their annual stock to Pakistani businessmen on throw away prices and Pakistan export the same dry fruit with its own label.

Haji Salimuddin, head of pine nuts businessmen community, told Pajhwok Afghan News they would face with severe financial crisis if the government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock did not extend all out cooperation to get access to regional and international markets.

Paktika has dense pine forests and the nuts are being exported to regional, Asian and European countries with Pakistani label.

Abdul Wakil, another businessman, said the government did not focus to promote the pine nuts business in Paktika. Most of the mountains in the province are rich in pine nuts and the government should facilitate the businessmen, which would strengthen national economy, he added.

The government, he said should help build cold storage facilities and find suitable markets to restore businessmen’s confidence and promote the business.

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