Afghanistan relied on other countries for food supplies in previous years, but this year marks Afghanistan’s food self-sufficiency, said Taliban Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Attaullah Omari.
Without naming Pakistan, he said “neighboring countries” had closed their borders to trade with Afghanistan, calling it “a great blessing” for the country.
Omari added that for “one year,” Afghanistan has not imported goods from countries it previously relied on, stressing that “our country has been doing well since then.”
Speaking at the Farmers’ Day ceremony and the 34th Agriculture and Livestock Products Exhibition, Omari said domestic “high-quality products” have now replaced “low-quality foreign goods” in local markets.
He claimed that all essential products are now produced domestically and that there are no foreign vegetables, legumes, or fruits in the markets.
The Taliban minister also noted that some items have not yet been replaced with local products but said they will be substituted in the future.
These remarks come as the United Nations reports a sharp rise in food prices in Afghanistan. For example, from October 2025, when border crossings with Pakistan were closed, the price of potatoes has increased by 68 percent.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that during the same period, the price of rice rose by 39 percent and rice flakes by 32 percent.
Over this period, the price of tomatoes also increased by 68 percent.
