Afghanistan Seeks To Expand Fresh Fruit Exports To India Through Air Cargo, Visa Facilitation

The meeting between ACCI Chairman Sayed Karim Hashemi and Indian Ambassador Yatindra Patel focused on strengthening bilateral trade and addressing logistical barriers that have limited Afghanistan agricultural exports in recent years.

According to the chamber, the two sides discussed increasing dedicated cargo flights for Afghanistan exports, including fresh fruit, dried fruit and figs, to ensure faster delivery to Indian markets. They also highlighted the need to streamline visa issuance for Afghan businesspeople to facilitate commercial travel between the two countries.

Afghanistan's agricultural sector relies heavily on exports of seasonal produce, particularly pomegranates, grapes, apricots, raisins, almonds, pistachios and dried figs. India remains one of the country's largest regional markets for horticultural products, importing significant quantities through air cargo and overland trade routes.

The discussions come as Afghanistan seeks to diversify export routes and revive trade following years of economic isolation and disruptions to regional transportation networks. Business leaders say expanding air freight capacity is essential because fresh produce has a short shelf life and requires rapid access to international markets.

India and Afghanistan have previously cooperated through the Air Freight Corridor, launched in 2017, which enabled Afghan exporters to bypass transit bottlenecks and ship agricultural products directly to major Indian cities. Although operations slowed after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, trade has continued through limited cargo services and alternative regional routes.

The Indian ambassador assured Afghan business representatives that the issues raised during the meeting, including cargo expansion and trader visas, would be conveyed to the relevant authorities in New Delhi for further consideration.

Despite the absence of formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban government by India, New Delhi has maintained a technical diplomatic presence in Kabul and continued humanitarian assistance while gradually expanding economic engagement with Afghanistan. Trade officials on both sides have increasingly emphasized commercial cooperation, particularly in agriculture and food exports, as an area of mutual interest.

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