Water Shortages, High Fertilizer Prices Threaten Afghanistan’s Wheat Crop

DID Press: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned that shortages of irrigation water and rising fertilizer prices are putting increasing pressure on Afghan farmers and could reduce the area planted with and production of winter wheat.

The FAO said Afghan farmers are facing growing economic and climate-related pressures, with water shortages and higher fertilizer costs threatening winter wheat cultivation and production.

According to the organization’s assessment across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, 80% of farming communities said they would reduce the area planted with winter wheat if fertilizer prices continue to rise.

The FAO also reported that 78% of the communities surveyed face shortages of irrigation water, while only 22% said they have adequate access to water for irrigating agricultural land.

The organization said declining groundwater and river levels, along with challenges in water-resource management, are among the main factors worsening Afghanistan’s agricultural water crisis.

The warning comes as wheat remains one of Afghanistan’s key staple crops. A decline in wheat production could affect the incomes of rural households and further undermine food security in the country.

The FAO has separately warned that rising fertilizer prices are threatening Afghanistan’s 2027 wheat harvest and said the higher costs could force farmers to reduce fertilizer use or cultivate smaller areas.