Opium production increased sharply in Afghanistan for the first time since 2022.
According to a new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, opium production in Afghanistan is set to quadruple by 2026 and the area under the opium poppy has expanded significantly. Crops increased by 330% compared to last year and exceeded 43 thousand dunams, opium production increased by 400% - to almost 1.5 thousand tons.
Such a notable increase was recorded for the first time since 2022, when the country instituted a total ban on the cultivation of narcotic plants, as well as on the production and distribution of drugs. At the same time, the UNP emphasizes that the current indices are still below the level recorded before the introduction of the ban.
In 2026, poppy grew in 16 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, a year earlier - only in 11. Three quarters of the area is in the northeast of the country. The authorities announced the destruction of 22 thousand dunams of crops, however, according to the organization's observations, some farmers have adapted: they hide small areas of poppy among the grain crops, plant them in yards behind fences and alternate sowing with harvesting to avoid detection.
The Afghan Ministry of Interior, in response to the report, stated that satellite images and expert assessments alone cannot be a sufficient basis for final conclusions without taking into account actions to destroy crops and "evidence from the fields". The ministry also questioned the use of unofficial information in calculating data on poppy cultivation and drug production.