Unprecedented Rise in Rice Prices in Laghman Amid Expansion of Paddy Cultivation
While officials from the Taliban’s Agriculture Department in Laghman province report an increase in paddy cultivation, rice prices in the local markets have surged dramatically compared to last year, putting additional pressure on residents.
According to Toryali, a professor at the Faculty of Agriculture at Laghman University, the price of one kilogram of rice, which was 220 Afghanis last year, has now reached between 430 and 450 Afghanis. This price hike has occurred amid economic challenges faced by many families.
The Agriculture Department officials under the Taliban administration have announced that this year approximately 11,000 hectares of land in Laghman have been sown with paddy. They noted that this figure represents about a 3 percent increase compared to 10,600 hectares last year.
Sardar Ziar, the head of communications for the department, attributed the reduction of drought and increased farmer interest in paddy cultivation to increased monsoon rains and rising river water levels. He also stated that farmers have been provided with seed and chemical fertilizers and received professional advice.
Laghman is one of the agricultural provinces in eastern Afghanistan, with paddy being one of its key crops. However, the rising rice prices in local markets have raised concerns about the purchasing power of the province’s residents.
