According to the Taliban Ministry of Commerce officials,
Afghanistan exported 73,000 tonnes of cotton worth USD 46mn last year.
The Taliban attribute the rise in cotton production to the
opium ban in the country.
Commerce Ministry spokesperson Maulana Zaheer did not
provide the figures for this year’s cotton production, however said that the
ban on opium cultivation has caused farmers to turn to cotton production.
He added that the Ministry has exempted customs tariffs for industrialists importing cotton processing machines to Afghanistan and will resume selling Afghan cotton abroad.
According to the ministry, cotton is grown in Helmand, Kandahar, Paktia, and Kunduz provinces.
Source: Wadsam
