Afghanistan opium poppy cultivation surges despite Taliban govt ban: UN
UNODC said cultivation rose 330% and production jumped 400% as poor farmers returned to poppy, while Taliban officials dismissed the figures.
- On Thursday, the United Nations reported that Afghanistan's opium poppy cultivation more than quadrupled in 2026, reaching 43,000 hectares despite a Taliban government ban, with production jumping fivefold to 1,500 tonnes.
- UNODC Executive Director Monica Juma noted the increase reveals poverty's grip on farmers; one hectare of poppy generates $10,000 compared to just over $770 for wheat, making alternatives economically unviable.
- Farmers like 22-year-old Mohammad told AFP, "Without opium, we cannot even afford basic food," while UNODC estimates only 10 percent of the required $500 million for alternative development has been funded.
- Clashes erupted in May as Afghan security forces moved to destroy opium fields in Badakhshan, killing two people, though Taliban authorities claim to have destroyed more than 22,000 hectares.
- UNODC Country Representative for Afghanistan Polleak Ok Serei called for a "drug demand reduction strategy, not only in Afghanistan but also outside of Afghanistan," citing Thailand's 15-year alternative livelihood investment as essential.
121 Articles
121 Articles
Afghan opium production surges fivefold despite Taliban ban, UN report
UNITED NATIONS - Opium production in Afghanistan has risen fivefold in a year, a UN survey released Thursday said, marking the first significant increase since the Taliban banned poppy cultivation in 2022.
Afghanistan opium cultivation quadruples as Kabul disputes UN data
Credit: Tim Cooper - UnsplashOpium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan more than quadrupled in 2026, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said, but the country's Ministry of Interior dismissed the findings.
According to a UN report, the production of opium is increasing again in Afghanistan.
Poor farmers are trying to hide poppy plantations in the middle of their grain fields.
Farmers in Afghanistan are producing significantly more opium again, despite a ban on the lucrative drug cultivation that the Taliban instituted four years ago. This is reported by the United Nations (UN). The figures show the vulnerability of Afghan farmers, who can barely make ends meet due to the struggling economy. Within a year, the area used for Afghan opium production has nearly quadrupled to around 43,000 hectares. That is still signifi…
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