Taliban and Uzbekistan discuss meat and potato exports
Osmani, deputy minister of agriculture, irrigation and livestock of Afghanistan, discussed bilateral cooperation with Jamshid Abdullazhorov, deputy minister of agriculture of Uzbekistan, in an online meeting. The topics raised included Afghanistan’s meat exports to Uzbekistan, providing land for cotton cultivation in Faryab province, establishing a research and improved-seed production centre in Balkh, and purchasing potatoes from Bamyan province.
The Uzbek representatives said they were ready to help build the capacity of Afghan specialists and cooperate in agricultural production. It was also announced that Uzbek traders were interested in buying high-quality Afghan meat and potatoes grown in Bamyan.
Although these talks could create opportunities to develop Afghanistan’s agricultural economy, weak infrastructure, lack of security and ongoing restrictions in the Taliban-run economy remain major challenges for various agricultural sectors. Without addressing structural problems, such cooperation and exports are unlikely to have a broad impact on improving agriculture and the livelihoods of Afghan farmers.
