Iran and Afghanistan are seeking closer cooperation in agriculture, livestock and irrigation during a three-day Iranian ministerial visit to Kabul, as both sides look to strengthen trade and rural economies.
Iranian Minister of Agricultural Jihad Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh arrived in Kabul on Wednesday at the invitation of Afghanistan’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Ataullah Omari. His delegation also visited Afghanistan’s first international agriculture and livestock exhibition.
Nouri Ghezeljeh said the programme included meetings with Afghan officials and a visit to the exhibition.
“God willing, we will meet with Afghan officials and also visit Afghanistan’s first agriculture and livestock exhibition.”
Agriculture remains central to Afghanistan’s economy. The World Bank said in July that agriculture, livestock and rural activities contribute an estimated 35 per cent of GDP and employ about 45 per cent of the workforce, while nearly 80 per cent of households depend on rural livelihoods.
Wheat is Afghanistan’s main cereal crop, while fresh and dried fruits, nuts, cotton and saffron are key exports. Sheep and goats underpin the production of meat, dairy products, wool, skins and cashmere. Food products accounted for 61 per cent of Afghan exports in 2023, according to the World Bank.
The Afghan agriculture ministry said the talks centred on expanding cooperation between the two countries.
“Mawlawi Ataullah Omari, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, met with Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh, Minister of Agricultural Jihad of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iranian head of the Afghanistan-Iran Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, and his accompanying delegation, and discussed the expansion of joint cooperation in the fields of agriculture, livestock and irrigation.”
Water shortages remain a major challenge. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned this year that snowfall at the start of the 2025/26 wet season had fallen to a 25-year low, threatening crops and livestock that rely on snowmelt.
The World Bank also cites weak roads, limited cold storage, poor access to finance, droughts and floods as major obstacles to rural production and trade.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said...
Uzbekistan will allow eligible businesses to operate for up to three months without a licence or permit under a new regime aimed at cutting barrier...
Pakistan is seeking a cut of up to 50 per cent in the price of Iranian gas and lower supply volumes under the long-stalled Iran-Pakistan pipeline, ...
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
Russia has accused Ukraine of threatening global grain supplies after recent strikes on Black Sea agricultural infrastructure, while Moscow carried out a new overnight attack on Ukraine’s major Danube port of Izmail.
At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine in July, according to UN investigators, marking the highest monthly civilian casualty toll since March 2022.
Record rainfall in Japan killed eight people and stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Friday, as flooding disrupted transport and cut power to 20,000 homes.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 14th of August, covering the latest developments.
Ukraine’s attacks on Russian ports, refineries and shipping infrastructure are putting Moscow’s energy exports under growing pressure and disrupting key trade routes, raising concerns over commercial shipping and global food supplies.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment