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Amritsar sweets flavoured by Afghan dry fruits
Amritsar:
Dry fruits from Afghanistan add flavour to sweets
made in Amritsar. Sweet-makers here prefer almond
kernels, raisins, apricots and pistas imported from
Afghanistan. Amritsar has traditionally been a transit
hub for a wide variety of dry fruits from Afghanistan
and Pakistan. An importer of various items from across
the border, the city is the market for fresh and quality
dry fruits coming from Afghanistan. Avinash Singh,
a sweetshop owner in Amritsar, said: "Since Afghanistan
is ravaged by war, the supply of dry fruits has come
down. But, if trade via road is allowed bilateral
trade will get a boost. It not only benefits us, but
Amritsar as a whole will become a business hub." For
decades now, Amritsar have been the center of trade
from Afghanistan and accounts for 15 per cent of India's
total dry fruit imports. India's import of goods from
Afghanistan via Pakistan has picked up after trucks
were allowed to roll into India through Wagah border.
Since 2007, nearly 3,000 tones of dry fruits has been
imported each month from Afghanistan. Experts feel
India and Pakistan - the two important pillars of
South Asia Free Trade Area -- can play a crucial role
in rebuilding Afghanistan. Confederation of Indian
Industries (Amritsar Zone) Chairman Gurveer Singh
said: "Fortunately, today the situation is changing.
But, the situation is still not good. Trade at the
moment is to the tune of about Rs 300 crore annually,
which, we are getting one way into India. Import and
export both can increase, but this is entirely dependent
on free passage from Pakistan. At present, only imports
are allowed through Pakistan from Afghanistan. There
is tremendous need for Indian goods in Afghanistan."
In view to increasing trade between India and Afghanistan,
New Delhi is seeking passage from Pakistan to export
goods via Wagah border. In 2004, Afghanistan's 43.3
percent of exports were to India, and 32.8 percent
of imports were from India and Pakistan. Since 2001,
Afghanistan's imports and exports have increased around
2.7 times.
- Jan
28, 2008
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