Production of carpets in Afghanistan has dropped 70 per cent in the past two years, an official from Afghanistan's Carpet Association said.

The association is critical of the government for not supporting it during the past decade.

The high price of raw materials and the lack of facilities have caused many carpet manufacturers to quit and look for other job, the official added.

Despite these challenges and shortfalls, the price of one square meter of carpet on the international market costs as much as $8,000.

The price of producing carpets has also increased. Most Afghan carpets are exported through Pakistan and carry Pakistani branding. It now costs double for Pakistan traders to buy Afghan carpets due to currency fluctuations.

"Because the value of Pakistani rupees is lower than Afghanis, and because of the high price of raw materials, electricity and other challenges, the price of carpet production within Afghanistan has tremendously increased," the head of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce, Mohammad Qurban Haqjosaid, said.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Ministry of Commerce said it has taken measures to improve carpet production in the country.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, Wahidullah Ghazikhil, cited two industrial parks in Nangarhar and Faryab provinces as part of that progress.

"Currently there are two industrial carpet parks in Afghanistan, one in Nangarhar province and other is in Faryab province," Mr Ghazikhil said. "All the activities including sewing, painting and scissoring of the carpets is done inside in the country. The main reason of low production is high labour wages ."

The Nangarhar Carpet Industrial Association said that despite the budget being approved for the construction of the industrial park three years ago, the park is still not constructed.

Despite these challenges, Afghan carpets are still considered superior to other nations' carpets, winning first place at international exhibitions around the world.

Afghan carpets have taken first place at Germany's Domitix Exhibition for several consecutive years.