A vendor shows cotton at a shop in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on Feb. 8, 2026. Afghan farmers harvested more than 158,000 metric tons of cotton over the past year, the National Statistics and Information Authority said in a statement on Saturday. Cotton is one of Afghanistan's most popular export products. Its cotton exports reached 163 million U.S. dollars during the same period. (Photo: Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Afghan farmers harvested more than 158,000 metric tons of cotton over the past year, the National Statistics and Information Authority said in a statement on Saturday.

According to the statement, cotton cultivation during the period covered 104,236 hectares of land in 17 out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Helmand, Balkh, Kandahar, Jawzjan, and Nangarhar were noted as the leading provinces in cotton production.

Cotton is one of Afghanistan's most popular export products. Its cotton exports reached 163 million U.S. dollars during the same period.