UN: Opium production in Afghanistan has increased fivefold in one year

Hamoon Thu Oct 2026 1 hour ago 8

The report indicates that the increase in production has not been limited solely to the expansion of cultivated land, but that better rainfall and, as a result, increased crop yields have also played a role in this trend. At the same time, this agency's assessment suggests that the restrictions imposed on narcotics in Afghanistan this year have become less stringent compared to the past.


According to United Nations statistics, the area under poppy cultivation has risen from about 10,000 hectares in 2025 to more than 43,000 hectares in 2026. Despite this growth, the level of cultivation has still not reached the amounts recorded prior to the imposition of the ban.


Currently, poppy is cultivated in 16 provinces out of Afghanistan's total of 34 provinces; a figure that, compared to the previous year, shows an increase of five provinces. The largest share of cultivation, equivalent to 76 percent of the total land under opium cultivation, is concentrated in the northeastern region of the country, with Badakhshan province hosting the majority of this cultivation.


The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report states that with the increase in production, the total value of harvested opium in 2026 for traders has reached approximately $525 million. This amount is estimated to be equivalent to nearly 2.7 percent of Afghanistan's gross domestic product and 8.5 percent of the value of the country's agricultural sector.


Meanwhile, the average regional price per kilogram of dry opium has fallen to around $500. Even so, the current price remains far higher than the pre-ban level; a time when the price per kilogram of dry opium was less than $100.


The findings of this report show that some farmers are employing various concealment methods to reduce the likelihood of detection and destruction of poppy fields. Intercropping poppy with cereals such as wheat and barley, using land enclosed within walls, and planting and harvesting crops at different stages are among these methods cited.


For example, in Helmand province, more than 90 percent of poppy fields have been cultivated covertly; a situation that, according to the report, makes identifying these fields more difficult.


The United Nations has also pointed to significant price differences for opium in various regions of Afghanistan. According to the report, prices are lower in the northeast of the country and higher in the southwest. This disparity could pave the way for expanded illegal trade between regions and increased domestic trafficking.


Another section of the report states that stockpiles of opium remaining from the pre-ban period are dwindling. At the same time, ongoing economic challenges and the lack of suitable livelihood alternatives for farmers have heightened concerns about the continuation and even increase of poppy cultivation in the future.


According to the United Nations assessment, the combination of increased cultivation levels, production growth, and limited alternative livelihood opportunities has turned the cultivation and production of opium in Afghanistan into one of the key issues in the fight against drugs.



The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has announced in its latest report a significant increase in the cultivation and production of opium in Afghanistan. According to this report, which was published on Thursday, November 7, opium production in 2026 reached nearly 1,500 tons; whereas this figure was around 300 tons in the previous year.

Hamoon Khamoosh

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