Opium poppy crops in Afghanistan increased by 330% - the United Nations The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recorded a massive increase in opium production in the country. According to the organization, the cultivated area has increased by 330%, and the production volumes by 400%, as reported by Kazinform's own reporter. Main data and details of the report: In 2026, the sown area increased to 43 thousand dunams compared to 10 thousand years before. This is a record jump since the ban was introduced in 2022. To avoid detection, farmers hid small patches of poppy seeds between regular grain crops or within fenced areas. The UN notes that deepening poverty has become the main driving force, and calls on the international community to help farmers switch to legal crops. The movement's leadership rejected the report's findings, calling them inaccurate and based on biased data. At the same time, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaki emphasized that the fight against drugs requires joint efforts and support for alternative sources of income for farmers.

Opium poppy crops in Afghanistan increased by 330% - the United Nations The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recorded a massive increase in opium production in the country. According to the organization, the cultivated area has increased by 330%, and the production volumes by 400%, as reported by Kazinform's own reporter. Main data and details of the report: In 2026, the sown area increased to 43 thousand dunams compared to 10 thousand years before. This is a record jump since the ban was introduced in 2022. To avoid detection, farmers hid small patches of poppy seeds between regular grain crops or within fenced areas. The UN notes that deepening poverty has become the main driving force, and calls on the international community to help farmers switch to legal crops. The movement's leadership rejected the report's findings, calling them inaccurate and based on biased data. At the same time, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaki emphasized that the fight against drugs requires joint efforts and support for alternative sources of income for farmers.