Afghanistan eyes self-sufficiency in poultry and egg production
Afghanistan is ramping up production to better meet domestic demand for broiler meat and eggs, Shafaqna, a local news outlet, reported, citing the Taliban Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.
As an example, the Ministry noted substantial growth in the poultry industry in Herat, a region in the north-west of the country, where US$120 million has recently been invested in egg production. As a result, the Ministry added, the segment’s output has reached 2.5 million per day, and the figure is projected to grow to 4 million per day over the next several months.
Herat has become the centre of the Afghan poultry industry, as the region exports around 75% of manufactured poultry products to other provinces. Currently, 800 poultry farms are active in the province, 65 of which specialise in egg production, the Ministry said.
“The Afghan poultry industry is gradually becoming self-sufficient,” Shafaqna said, citing the Agricultural Ministry. The announcements have been made in response to sharp price fluctuations on the Afghan food market over the last few months.
Disrupted poultry imports
According to Shafaqna, the closure of the border crossing with Pakistan in October 2025 has triggered a surge in poultry and egg prices nationwide.
In early 2025, Pakistani poultry producers estimated that Afghanistan imported 30% of the chicken meat and eggs to meet domestic consumption. This offered significant opportunities for the Pakistani poultry exporters.
Pakistan closed all border crossings with Afghanistan in October 2025 after deadly overnight clashes in which both sides claimed to have killed dozens of troops.
A significant fall in chicken prices
The impact of the political tensions has been felt on both sides of the border. Chicken prices in Karachi, the capital of Pakistan, have fallen significantly in the last weeks of 2025, with traders attributing the decline to the closure of crossings with Afghanistan, which has effectively suspended poultry exports, according to Ariana News, a local news outlet.
A sudden drop in poultry prices in Pakistan has even sparked speculation on social media that an outbreak of a veterinary disease could be involved.
However, poultry industry officials dismissed these rumors. Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui, general secretary of the Sindh Poultry Wholesalers Association, for one, told Ariana News that no outbreaks have been affecting the Pakistani poultry industry recently. A halt in poultry, egg, and feed exports to Afghanistan has resulted in a product surplus on the market and driven prices down, he added.
