Afghanistan harvests 4.83 million tons of wheat this year: Statement

Afghanistan harvested 4.83 million tons of wheat this year, representing a 10 percent increase from the previous year, according to a statement from the Taliban-run National Statistics and Information Authority. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had previously estimated Afghanistan’s 2023 wheat harvest at 4.3 million tons. FAO data also showed an average total grain yield of 5.2 million tons, with wheat accounting for the bulk of the production. Despite the increase in domestic wheat output, Afghanistan remains dependent on grain imports, requiring about 3.5 million tons annually to meet domestic demand. The Taliban’s statistics authority reported that 2.12 million hectares of land were cultivated for wheat this year, with 1.3 million hectares irrigated and 736,000 hectares rain-fed. Helmand, Kandahar, Farah, and Kunduz produced the highest yields of irrigated wheat, while Takhar, Herat, Badghis, and Faryab led in rain-fed wheat production. For almost 30 ...