Afghanistan once had a well-developed and productive agricultural sector. As late as 1978, the country was self-sufficient in cereal grains and had a strong export market for horticultural products. It also produced industrial crops such as cotton and sugar beets and had the relevant industrial capabilities to process them. However, nearly three decades of conflict and little or no investment have decimated Afghanistan’s agricultural sector and reduced both the amount of cultivable land and the level of crop yields.

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