India discusses agricultural collaboration with Taliban governement of Afghanistan

NEW DELHI

The Taliban administration of Afghanistan has expressed its desire to enhance agricultural cooperation with India, covering areas such as agricultural trade, infrastructure development and irrigation, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday (July 12, 2026).

In a statement, the MEA said the discussions took place during the six-day (July 7-12) visit of Abdullah Omari, the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of the Taliban administration.

“The two sides reviewed ongoing cooperation and explored new avenues for collaboration in agriculture, irrigation, livestock, agricultural research, education, capacity building and agri-trade. Food security, seed systems and enhancement of crop productivity featured prominently in the discussions. India reiterated its commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s agricultural sector through cooperation in climate-resilient and bio-fortified crop varieties,” the MEA said.

During the visit, Mr. Omari met Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Minister of Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan. Mr. Omari also met Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita.

Among the issues discussed were cooperation in food processing through value addition, capacity building and the promotion of bilateral trade in agricultural and food products.

The Afghan delegation, led by Mr. Omari, also held meetings with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr. Omari is the fourth Taliban Minister to visit New Delhi in the past year. Earlier, Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Public Health Noor Jalal Jalali, and Commerce Minister Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi visited India.

India has not yet formally recognised the Taliban administration in Kabul, but has upgraded the ‘technical team’ in the Indian embassy in Kabul to the level of chargé d’affaires.

India has been sending food, medicines and other essential items to Afghanistan as the country continues to battle a shortage of essential commodities and life-saving medicines. Much of the assistance was routed through Iran’s Chabahar port before the U.S.-Israel war against Iran disrupted the route.