Attachments
Highlights
Food Items: Market prices collected during the fourth week of February 2025 is showing a negligible fluctuation in the prices of most of food commodities due to the fluctuation in AFN and USD exchange rate. Only the price of Tomato decreased more than others depend on supply to the market. The Torkham border crossing has been closed by Pakistan for the past five days, causing significant issues for traders and travellers on both sides of the border and due to heavy snowfall, Salang Highway has been closed (February 25 & 26.2025).
Prices of food commodities, except for cooking oil and salt which are still significantly higher, are slightly lower compared to the same time last year, with significant decline in prices of wheat grain, low price rice and sugar. Despite recent declines, the current prices of major food items remain substantially above pre-Covid levels except for wheat grain & wheat flours and prices before the political changes in June 2021, except for wheat grain, wheat flours, and cooking oil.
Non-food Items: The national average prices of non-food commodities are showing a normal trend with minor fluctuations on weekly basis. Decline has been occurred in the prices of fertilizer (Urea), improved seeds and animal concentrate feed, except fertilizer (Dap) negligibly increased, Year-on-year changes show a significant decline in the price of Urea, with slight decline in price of DAP and improved seeds. Similarly, the availability of labour per week and labour wage rates are slightly higher compared to the same period last year. However, when compared to pre-COVID levels and June 2021, the availability of workdays per week has declined, indicating a reduction in labour opportunities in the country.
Diesel: The national average diesel price was AFN 61.6 per litre in the 4th week of February 2025, down by 0.1% from last week and higher by 1% compared to last year same time. It remains 37% higher than pre-Covid levels and 24% above June 2021 prices. As of February 24, 2025, the global average diesel price is $1.20 per litre, which vary significantly across countries, with major oil-producing and exporting nations having substantially lower diesel prices.
Winter Fuel Items: Winter fuel prices felt compared to last week: balot wood and pine wood by price negligibly decreased by 1.1% each, coal by 0.4%, wood flour by 0.6% and only liquid gas increased by 1.6%. Year-on-year, the prices of charcoal, balot wood, pine wood and gas increased by 9%, 6%, 4% and 3%, respectively. While only coal dropped by 2%.