Afghan-Pakistan border closure hurting fruit & veg trade
Summer is peak time for fruit and vegetable production in the two countries. Under normal circumstances around this time of the year, a significant portion of Afghanistan's grapes and pomegranates is ferried overland to Pakistan.
Pakistan's mangoes and vegetables go the opposite direction, along with bilateral trade in many other commodities — some legal and some otherwise. Part of the Afghan fruit produce is sold in Chaman and nearby villages; the remainder finds its way to markets across Pakistan.
It's a long-established system that relies heavily on trust: Pakistani fruit traders send advance payments to their Afghan counterparts, who then send the fruit after it's harvested. But so far this year, the Chaman businessmen say they have not cut the usual deals because the border closures have created the risk of coming up empty-handed.
source: voanews.com
