NA body informed: Border closure, Russia ban cut potato exports by 50pc

ISLAMABAD: Closure of border with Afghanistan and ban by Russia has reduced the exports of potatoes by almost 50 percent, causing lot of problems for the farmers who are desperately looking for buyers. This was stated by Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain at a meeting of the National Assembly Committee on Food Security and Research chaired by MNA Syed Hussain Tariq.

The Minister said that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have agreed to buy surplus potatoes from Pakistan and hopefully the export of potatoes to these countries will begin in March.

He said that the government is exploring options to export potatoes to Central Asians states through China and Iran. He said this year, 13 million metric tonne of potatoes were produced out of which 4 million metric tonne surplus potatoes will be exported to Central Asian states and other countries.

READ MORE: Pakistan plans export push to tackle potato surplus

Rana Tanveer said that the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) compiled a consolidated list of 36 countries where Pakistani potatoes have export access and the government is looking at ways and means to export surplus potatoes to these countries.

The minister said that committee already been formed under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar who with consultation with Ministry of Commerce, National Logistic Cell and his ministry looking for ways and means to help the farmers who’re trying to find buyers internationally and domestically.

To a query, senior official of Ministry of National Food Security said that Russia imposed a ban on Punjab potatoes citing alleged Potato Tuber Moth and Tomato Wilt virus.

He said the DPP contested the prohibition, presenting national prevalence, pest-status records, and accredited lab diagnostics showing absence of the cited pests/pathogens.

He said the Russian authorities agreed to negotiate with DPP; consultations to focus on resumption of Punjab potato exports with anticipated progress by the end of February.

During the meeting, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research also presented PSDP of PKR 16.94 billion for the financial year of 2026-27 with foreign component of PKR 4.05 billion and it include13 projects.

The Committee expressed concern over the recurring nature of agricultural crises, noting that similar challenges have affected rice, wheat, sugarcane, and now potatoes. Members emphasized that these crises reflect systemic weaknesses in planning, coordination, and market forecasting within the agricultural sector.

Proactive measures, including timely crop planning, accurate production forecasting, enhanced market intelligence, improved storage and value-addition capacity, and early identification of export opportunities, were recommended to prevent repeated financial distress for farmers.

To mitigate the current crisis, the Committee recommended that Provincial Governments procure surplus potatoes for storage in cold facilities to sell later in domestic and international markets, preventing distress sales.

Alternatively, a wheat-support-like model was proposed, where private banks provide loans for cold storage of excess produce, with the government covering the mark-up. These measures aim to stabilize prices, provide immediate relief to farmers, and prevent forced sales at reduced rates.

The Ministry is scheduled to meet with the National Logistics Corporation (NLC) this week to review procurement and logistics issues, with participation from Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan, former MNA.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026