Problems Facing Agricultural Product Exporters and Solutions : A Case Study from Afghanistan

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate problems faced by agricultural product exporters of Afghanistan and propose solutions with the help of a questionnaire Design/Methodology/Approach: The data obtained for this study were prepared from primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected through questionnaires with exporters of agricultural products in Kabul province. Part of the interview part was conducted face-to-face, and some of the answers were collected from interviewees through the mail. The secondary data was obtained from reliable national and international organizations’ websites. According to the 18-year data obtained in the study for Afghanistan, foreign trade has been analyzed and the calculations have been presented in %. Findings: The main problems faced by the exporters of Afghanistan agricultural products are: lack of marketing services; the inadequacy of government support; taxes and customs clearance; transit transportation problems; the problem of adaptation to the global marketing system; ongoing civil war and security problems; problems in commercial relations with neighbors; problems related to education and communication; and lack of quality control systems. The main solutions for these problems include: effective and appropriate marketing services; following correct and reasonable policies regarding incentives to investors, tariffs, and customs fees; strengthening the country’s economic infrastructure; construction of highways and establishment of an appropriate transit transportation system; increasing security measures; and increasing the added value of domestic export items. Eliminating the problems of exporters will increase the export potential of the country and enable it to be used better. Originality / value: Agriculture is the main sector in Afghanistan's economy, and agricultural products constitute 65.8% of the country's total exports. There are very limited studies on foreign trade, especially the export of agricultural products, in Afghanistan. The absence of studies addressing the problems of exporters adds value to this study.