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Pakistan Potato Prices Collapse as Afghan Border Closure Chokes Exports

With Torkham and Chaman shut since October, the loss of Afghanistan as a buyer and transit route has stranded surplus supply that growers say they cannot carry.

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Overview

  • Domestic potato prices have fallen by more than 70 percent, with declines reported up to 77 percent since exports were halted.
  • Farmers and traders are unloading stock at steep losses, as a 60‑kilogram bag that sold for Rs2,600 now fails to cover a Rs600 storage cost.
  • Afghanistan historically buys over 40 percent of Pakistan’s potato exports and serves as a corridor to Central Asia and Russia, magnifying the shock.
  • The glut has intensified as the new crop reaches markets after a year in which Pakistan harvested 9.4 million tons, 12 percent more than the previous season.
  • Industry voices urge rerouting via Iran and opening new markets, while officials offered no comment and producers warn losses are mounting without swift action.