Afghanistan's National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) says this (solar) year’s production of wheat totalled 4.83 million metric tons across the country, an increase of about 10% against last year. 

NSIA says the total area cultivated with wheat in Afghanistan this year is 12.2 million hectares. 

The directorate said in total, about 70 percent of cultivated agricultural land in the country is being used for wheat.

Officials said the main reason for the good harvest was timely rains and the switch from poppy farming to wheat. 

This increase is welcomed by officials, whose aim it is to encourage farmers to grow the cereal in order for the country to become self-sufficient. 

Currently Afghanistan needs a total of almost 7 million metric tons of wheat a year in order to cover the population’s needs. 

In order to determine the amount of wheat grown in the country, NSIA analyzed satellite images from the time of cultivation to harvest. 

Despite the Islamic Emirate’s (IEA) request to attend this year's BRICS summit in Kazan, in Russia, Afghanistan has not been invited to attend.

The two-day summit, which got underway on Tuesday will bring together presidents of Russia, China, India, Brazil, Egypt and Iran along with other leaders.

So far the IEA has not commented on its absence but in May this year, an Islamic Emirate spokesman confirmed they had asked to attend the next meeting.

He said at the time, Afghanistan had good economic relations and trade exchanges with BRICS countries and hoped to participate.

However, Zamir Kabulov, Russia's special representative for Afghanistan affairs, said earlier this month that an invitation to the meeting would not only be dependent on Russia but also on the other member countries.

Although the caretaker government of Afghanistan has not yet been officially recognized by any country, it has good relations with the founding countries of BRICS, including China and Russia.

BRICS, which is an economic organization, was established in 2009 at the initiative of Russia. Brazil, Russia, India and China were its first members, while South Africa joined a year later.
More recently, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia also joined.

Questions have been raised over Pakistan’s failure to appoint a new special envoy for Afghanistan after Asif Durrani, a retired diplomat, was removed from the post almost six weeks ago.

Sources familiar with the issue told Pakistan’s Express Tribune that Islamabad’s reluctance to appoint a new envoy “reflects Pakistan's strategy to avoid extensive engagement with the Taliban (Islamic Emirate) government due to its ongoing support for the banned TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan)”.

The Tribune reported that the government's hesitation stems from the ineffectiveness of the role, given the minimal diplomatic engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, adding that “officials at the Foreign Office believe they can manage Afghan affairs without needing a retired diplomat in the position”.

Regional countries and other stakeholders have typically appointed special representatives to address concerns and coordinate with international partners over issues relating to Afghanistan.

However, on September 10, the Pakistani government removed Durrani amid tensions with Kabul. No official explanation was provided.

The Tribune reports however, that tensions are running high, with Pakistan continuing to accuse the Islamic Emirate of not taking steps against the TTP in Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate meanwhile has repeatedly denied providing sanctuary to the militant group and has also urged Pakistan on numerous occasions to find a political settlement to the problem.

Pakistan, initially, did talk to the TTP at the request of the Islamic Emirate, but the talks soon collapsed and Pakistan saw an uptick in TTP attacks.