ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is considering using the Iran corridor to export the surplus quantity of potatoes it has produced to Central Asian countries, Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said on Monday as Islamabad grapples with a potato price glut triggered by the Afghan border closure.
Potato prices in Pakistan fell sharply as Islamabad closed its Chaman and Torkham border crossings with Afghanistan in October 2025 after fierce clashes between both countries left dozens dead.
Afghanistan is a huge market for Pakistani potatoes. The suspension of trade with Kabul has created an oversupply of the vegetable in Pakistan, leading to a sharp decline in its prices. Pakistani farmers have complained of suffering heavy losses as the border crossings remain closed.
Speaking at a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Food Security, Hussain said the border closures had initially caused problems but Islamabad has identified an alternative route to export potatoes to Central Asian countries.
“Authorities are considering the Zahedan-Taftan land route,” Hussain told participants of the meeting.
