The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar, inaugurated Afghanistan’s first agricultural laboratory and laid the foundation stone for a large industrial park during an official visit to Kandahar on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
Baradar said Afghanistan’s agricultural sector had long
suffered due to the absence of laboratories for soil and water analysis, which
negatively affected farmers’ yields.
“For years, the lack of soil and water testing services has harmed our
agricultural activities,” he said. “The opening of this laboratory will bring
significant improvements to the quality and value of agricultural products.”
The new agricultural lab—built at an estimated cost of $2
million—is described by Taliban officials as a major step toward standardizing
Afghanistan’s agricultural sector. Authorities say that soil, water, and crop
testing will now be conducted inside the country rather than abroad.
During his visit, Baradar also laid the foundation stone for
a new industrial town in Kandahar’s textile zone. The industrial park, planned
to cover roughly 1,000 acres, is expected to boost local production and create
new employment opportunities.
Taliban officials said the projects will support Kandahar’s
economic growth and contribute to broader expansion in both the agricultural
and industrial sectors across Afghanistan.
