In the last five years, Seth Azeem Shah felt the speed of updates in China’s pine nut processing technology. "In 2017, the Chinese method of processing pine nuts was almost the same as that in Pakistan. However, it is hard to describe in words how advanced China is in pine nut processing technology at present. They use machines for picking, which reduces the loss of pine nuts. At the processing stage, they can identify whether pine nuts are fresh or not by computer identification of their skins, and pick them up. Their methods of roasting, packaging and others are models of their kinds." 

 

 

The pine nut screening machine has also been upgraded. "We are now using AI-based equipment to screen pine nuts, which is smarter," said the head of Miguo.

 

Seth Azeem Shah believes that it’s hard to apply these new technologies in Pakistan, so the current model of exporting raw materials from Pakistan to China is more practical. The processing and packaging technology in China is more targeted, which makes it easier to open up sales channels. "Most of the pine nuts are sold in China in 500-gram packages, with smaller packages inside the larger ones, which are 20 or 50 grams per package."

 

 

In Zhuji, China's Zhejiang Province, there are various nut processing factories. If you ask importers of raw pine nuts there, they would indicate that they prefer to import Afghan pine nuts because of their higher quality.

 

However, it is interesting to note that GACC data showed China imported a total of 4,290 tons of pine nuts in shell (HS: 08029100) from Pakistan and only 260 tons of pine nuts from Afghanistan in the first nine months of this year. Why are China's imports of Afghan pine nuts only 6% of the amount of imported Pakistani pine nuts, while Afghan pine nuts enjoy higher popularity?

 

Azeem Shah explains that as for why Afghan pine nuts sell well in the Chinese market, one reason is that the Chinese consider pine nuts from Pakistan’s Waziristan to be Afghan pine nuts. "In fact, Pakistan’s Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan, produces more pine nuts which are of the same quality as Afghan pine nuts. Those who bring Waziristan pine nuts to China, instead of advertising them for Pakistan, see them as Afghan pine nuts and label them as from Afghanistan. So it leads to the fact that now only the Afghan pine nuts are popular in the market, but actually they are produced in Pakistan’s Waziristan."

 

Another reason is the limited flights from Afghanistan to China after the Taliban took over the country. "So some of the pine nuts are shipped from Afghanistan to Pakistan and then to China, so a high number of Pakistani exports is recorded," Wu Qingtao said.

 

Naimat Gul also verifies this point. There are many traders from Kabul, Afghanistan, in the Chilas market, from where pine nuts are exported to China every year.

 

Generally speaking, there are three criteria to measure pine nuts. First, it depends on the size of pine nuts, about 2,400-3,000 nuts per kilogram; secondly, it depends on the rate of kernel yield after drying, with the highest quality pine nuts yielding up to 80 percent; and the third is it depends on the number of hollow or bad nuts in 100 pine nuts.

 

 

 

Azeem Shah told CEN that there are three main grades of pine nuts in terms of production areas. The highest quality pine nuts are produced in Pakistan's Waziristan, Afghanistan's Paktika, Paktia and Khost provinces, however, the pine nuts are smaller this year; the second grade pine nuts are generally produced in Pakistan's Chilas and Afghanistan's Laghman, which are of the same quality; while the pine nuts from Afghanistan's Nuristan, Tagab, among others are of the lowest quality, with only 72 kilograms left after 100 kilograms of raw material is fried.

 

 

"This year, Chilas pine nuts are of the best quality. Despite the fact that Afghan pine nuts are more popular among the Chinese consumers, in 2017 and in 2022 the quality of Chilas pine nuts ranked first. There is not a single one bad out of 100 pine nuts, while 10 out of 100 pine nuts produced in Afghanistan are bad," Azeem Shah added.

 

 

In addition to reducing logging, planting more pine tree can also boost pine nut production. The area with pine trees in Chilas only accounts for 1% of the land. “We can plant pine nuts in the remaining 99 percent of the land. Plants sown in the sun to a depth of 2-3 inches in the soil are easy to survive," said Azeem Shah, adding that “if workers continue to cut down trees, pine nut production may decrease from 3,000 tons to 100 tons, which would be a nightmare for the poor. If the production is 30,000 tons and we sell to China at USD 10-20 per kilogram, we will make USD 560 million a year."

 

 

 

Azeem Shah admits that another major reason for the decline in pine nut production in Pakistan is the lack of advanced harvesting techniques. "This year's pine cones are connected to the second year's pine cones, and when we pull them with a hook, the whole branch is broken off, but we only get one ripe pine cone, losing future years' pine cones on this branch." 

 

In China and Türkiye, a special type of scissors is used that can precisely cut one pine cone at a time without damage to the branch. Regarding pine cone harvesting and processing technology, Pakistan can cooperate with China, added Azeem Shah.

 

 

 

In terms of improvements in the quality of pine nuts, although the current quality of pine nuts exported to China is already top A grade, the quality can be further improved. "If modern technology and good machines provided by China can be introduced, then the quality of pine nuts will improve on the A, B and C grades. The price of exported pine nuts will also go up," Naimat Gul said.

 

According to the grading scale, the price of A grade pine nuts in Chilas is Rs 3,500 (about RMB 111) per kilogram, B grade is Rs 2,700-2,800 (about RMB 85-89) per kilogram and C grade is Rs 2,200 (about RMB 70) per kilogram, Naimat Gul added. 

 

"In China, raw pine nuts can cost up to RMB 200 per kilogram," said Azeem Shah.

 

Faisal Ahsan Pirzada agreed that Pakistan urgently needs to improve the quality of pine nuts. "Pakistan should have international level of productivity and packaging. Pine nuts should become an exportable material with patents and ISO certification." Only then, he believes, will the credit of Pakistani pine nuts be built up, and will Pakistani pine nuts to be exported to more countries.

 

"Pine nuts should be included in the geographical certification (GI) to create a brand of Pakistani pine nuts. In future, the markets of Maldives, the US and European countries can be tapped through Karachi seaport so that Pakistan can earn more and solve the problems of unemployment, poverty, among others," Shahid Zaffar suggested.