The Agency said that some businesses export locally grown low-quality fruit or foreign-produced dried fruits, damaging the Afghan brand. Membership of the Agency is optional, so many exporters do not abide by export-quality product standards.

"Optional membership has a negative effect on Afghanistan's exports because lots of low-quality and foreign fruits have been exported as products of Afghanistan," said Agency head Sayed Azim Mostafa.

Mostafa asked the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries and the Afghan Customs Department to enforce quality standards so that sub-standard products are not exported.

Afghan dried fruits are exported to 43 countries in Asia, Europe and America, according to the Agency.

Copyright NNI (News Network International), 2013