The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock announced that despite severe floods this year, wheat yields have increased by 15-20% compared to last year.

Sadr Azam Osmani, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, told TOLOnews that one of the significant reasons for the increase in wheat cultivation and harvest is the ban on poppy cultivation and farmers turning to wheat cultivation.

Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock show that 6% more land has been planted with wheat in the current solar year (1403) compared to last year.

Osmani added: "Wheat production and cultivation have increased by 15 to 20 percent last year, one of the reasons being the reduction in poppy cultivation."

According to him, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock has assigned various committees in different parts of the country to identify lands damaged by recent floods and take steps to rehabilitate them.

Osmani added that this year, the ministry distributed 33,000 metric tons of wheat to farmers and plans to distribute 60,000 metric tons of wheat in the coming year.

The deputy minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, said: "Last year we distributed 33,000 metric tons of wheat to farmers, and this year we plan to distribute around 60,000 metric tons of wheat."

He emphasized that efforts are ongoing to expand the areas of cultivation and produce improved seeds to achieve self-sufficiency.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, Afghanistan needs 6.9 million metric tons of wheat annually.