Afghan grape growers turn to raisins as border shutdown crushes fruit trade

Fighting along the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border has led to repeated closures of the key trade route, eliminating the main outlet for fresh grapes from Kandahar's southern provinces. As a result, local producers are dumping excess fruit on the domestic market, causing grape prices to collapse. To mitigate losses, many farmers are now drying grapes into raisins, a cheaper product that still sells for far less than before.

Orchard owner Sakhi Jan says a seven-kilogram batch of raisins that once fetched around 1,000-1,200 afghanis now brings only 400-450 afghanis. The deputy director of the Kandahar Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Abdul Baqi Bina, notes that exports fell from 44,225 tons worth $13.8 million in 2025 to just 256 tons valued at $100,000 this year. Workers like Qudratullah Popal see labor demand shrink from about 1,500 to roughly 15 people. The situation has left growers, traders and laborers facing acute hardship and urging both governments to reopen the crossings.