Uzbekistan eyes up to 300,000 tons of annual potato imports from Afghanistan

A delegation of Uzbekistan led by Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Davron Vakhabov held talks on May 19 with the Governor of Afghanistan's Bamyan province, Qari Ghulam Haidar Shafaq. The discussions centered on expanding bilateral agricultural cooperation, focusing specifically on scaling up potato cultivation and supply chains.

Bamyan serves as the primary hub for potato production in Afghanistan. Out of the province's 500,000 residents, roughly 80% are currently engaged in potato farming.

The proposed initiative outlines the implementation of a cluster system in the region. Under this framework, Uzbekistan intends to supply high-quality seed potatoes to local Afghan farmers in exchange for guaranteed purchase agreements covering a significant portion of the final harvest.

Initial calculations indicate that the project will secure an annual import volume of at least 50,000 tons of affordable, high-quality potatoes to Uzbekistan. Officials estimate that the maximum volume of annual deliveries could eventually reach up to 300,000 tons

The two sides also discussed broader agricultural partnerships, including fruit cultivation, the construction of a dedicated storage and distribution complex for mineral fertilizers, and professional development programs in Uzbekistan to upgrade the technical skills of Afghan farmers. Governor Shafaq welcomed the proposals and expressed full readiness to expand the cross-border partnership.