Pakistan Plans Iran Corridor to Export Surplus Potatoes After Afghan Border Closure

Key Highlights

13 million metric tons of potatoes produced this year
Afghan border closure led to price crash
Iran land route under review for exports
Storage capacity limited to 7–8 million metric tons

Pakistan is looking at a new export route through Iran to deal with a sharp fall in potato prices. The problem began after the government closed the Chaman and Torkham borders with Afghanistan in October 2025. The move cut off a key market and left farmers facing heavy losses.

Border Closure Hits Prices

Afghanistan has long been a major buyer of Pakistani potatoes. When trade stopped, supply piled up inside Pakistan. Prices dropped quickly as more potatoes entered local markets.

Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Food Security that the government is now reviewing other export options. He said the Zahedan-Taftan land route through Iran is being considered to send potatoes to Central Asian countries.

Pakistan normally stores 7 to 8 million metric tons of potatoes each year. This season, however, production reached about 13 million metric tons. The extra supply pushed the market down sharply.

New Routes Under Review

Pakistan exports potatoes to countries such as Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, mostly through Afghanistan.

Officials said the Iran route is longer than the Afghan corridor, but it may help ease the pressure. Another possible route through China was discussed, yet it may involve visa issues and higher fuel costs due to mountainous terrain.

The commerce officials present at the meeting noted that the Iran route would take more time compared to the Afghan path. Still, the government sees it as a workable option. The minister added that the prime minister is personally reviewing the matter.

Also read: Why Food Manufacturers Are Picking Potato Starch

Wider Impact

Russia is not currently importing Pakistani potatoes due to quality restrictions imposed in previous years. That limits Pakistan’s export choices further.

Agriculture remains a major part of Pakistan’s economy. It made up 24 percent of GDP in 2024 and provided jobs to more than 37 percent of the labor force, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25.

With storage limits already stretched and trade routes blocked, finding a new export path has become urgent for farmers and traders alike.

Pakistan now faces the task of moving surplus potatoes beyond its borders. Whether the Iran corridor can ease the price slump will depend on how quickly the new route becomes active.