$38M Emergency Funding Sought for Afghanistan's Wheat Harvest

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is seeking $38.3 million in emergency funding to help farmers in Afghanistan purchase fertilizer and certified wheat seed before the winter planting season.

Fertilizer prices have skyrocketed due to global market disruptions linked to the 2026 Middle East crisis, leaving many farmers unable to afford essential inputs despite supplies remaining available.

The agency says this is not a supply crisis but an affordability crisis at a critical moment in the agricultural calendar. Fertilizer is available, yet too many farmers cannot afford it.

Afghanistan's winter wheat crop accounts for more than two-thirds of the country's annual fertilizer demand. If farmers are forced to reduce fertilizer use or cultivate smaller areas, yields will decline, household food supplies will dwindle, and rural debt will rise.