Fruit sellers in Afghanistan’s western Herat province say the prolonged closure of border crossings with Pakistan has sharply driven up prices of imported fruit, putting them out of reach for many consumers.
Traders said prices of imported fruits such as bananas, pears, oranges, kiwifruit and mandarins have risen by more than 50% compared with last year, after border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained closed for more than two months.
“Since the borders were closed, fruit sales have dropped,” said Nematullah, a fruit seller in Herat. “A kilogram of Pakistani oranges used to cost 50 afghanis. Now it has reached 110 afghanis. Iranian fruit prices have also gone up in the same way.”
Residents say weak purchasing power and rising food prices have left many families unable to afford imported fruit.
“Fruit prices are very high. Low-income people cannot afford imported fruit,” said Nasrullah, a Herat resident. “Only wealthy people can buy them.”
Another resident, Farhad, said domestic produce had become more popular as prices rose. “People cannot afford foreign fruit, but local fruit like pomegranates and Afghan apples has more buyers because it is cheaper and people can afford it,” he said.
At this time of year, most fruit sold in Herat markets is imported, except for pomegranates, traders said. With border closures disrupting trade, many households have been forced to cut back on fruit consumption.
Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been repeatedly disrupted in recent months by political tensions and security incidents, affecting the supply of food and consumer goods in border regions and major cities.
