BALLARI: The catastrophic developments in Afghanistan have had economic repercussions in faraway Ballari. Farmers growing anjur or figs here are facing an uncertain future as the Taliban, who have taken control of the country, have banned all imports, including anjur.
Ballari has been a major supplier of fruit to Afghanistan and Iran for many years. Anjur cultivation has increased in the district over the last few years and it now covers over 30,000 hectares in Kurugod taluk of the district.
Farmers here export both wet and dry anjur to West Asian counties, with Afghanistan and Iran being major importers. Srinivas Reddy, an anjur grower, said that Kurugod taluk is famous for its variety of fruit.
“Most farmers here cultivate wet anjur, while some grow Diana variety, which is popularly called dry fig or dry anjeer. Growers prefer exporting the fruit as it fetches better margins. The wet anjur, which is sold for Rs 600-700 per kg in India, is priced at over Rs 1,000 abroad,” he said. With the dip in exports, farmers will now have to explore opportunities in the domestic market, he added.
Harishekar G, another anjur farmer, said that the international market has been down for the last two months. “It is a worry because we cannot store wet anjur for long,” he added.