Afghanistan became the top importer of Russian flour in 2024, continuing its role as a global leader in flour imports, according to a report from Agroexport, a federal center under Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
The report, cited by TASS on Friday, estimated that Russia exported wheat and wheat-rye flour worth $300 million in 2024, marking a 3% increase in value and a 7% rise in physical terms compared to 2023.
Preliminary data shows that Afghanistan imported $80 million worth of Russian flour in 2024—double the amount purchased in 2023. This surge underscores the country’s reliance on Russian flour to meet domestic demand.
Afghanistan’s increasing flour imports align with broader efforts to strengthen economic ties between the two nations. Earlier reports from Russian media highlighted ongoing negotiations between the Taliban and Russia to finalize a transit agreement for the transportation of 50 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through Afghanistan.
According to Rustam Khabibullin, head of the Russian Business Center in Afghanistan, the agreement is expected to be finalized in 2025 under the “Kazan Format,” with gas shipments to be transported via tanker trucks. A pilot phase of the project has already been completed.
This prospective deal builds on previous agreements, including the annual transit of 50 million tons of Russian oil in 2023 and two million tons of wheat and flour in 2024.
