Afghanistan became the largest importer of Russian flour last year, doubling its purchases, according to Russia’s state agricultural export agency, Agroexport.
The agency stated that Afghanistan imports flour due to insufficient local production capacity to meet demand.
The increase in imports came as Russia strengthened its relations with the Afghan Taliban government. Last month, the Russian parliament approved a law allowing the Taliban to be removed from the list of banned terrorist organizations, bringing the government closer to official recognition.
Agroexport’s preliminary estimates indicate that Afghanistan imported nearly $80 million worth of Russian flour in 2024, double the amount purchased in 2023.
Russia’s exports of wheat, wheat flour and rye totaled $300 million last year, representing a 3% increase in value and 7% growth in volume compared to the previous year. The agency said that China and Turkmenistan are among the three largest importers of Russian flour.