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2026-10-30 Afghanistan
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Afghanistan Opium Production Rises Fivefold in 2026, UNODC Survey Finds
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[KhaamaPress] Afghanistan’s opium production surged nearly fivefold in 2026, with cultivation expanding sharply despite the Taliban
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authorities’ narcotics ban, according to a new United Nations
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survey.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported on Thursday, October 29, that opium poppy cultivation increased by 330 percent year-on-year to more than 43,000 hectares, while production rose by 400 percent to nearly 1,500 tonnes. The figures mark the first significant increase since the ban was enforced in 2022.
The survey found that cultivation expanded from about 10,000 hectares in 2025, while estimated production rose from approximately 300 tonnes. Despite the sharp increase, both figures remain below levels recorded before the 2022 ban.
According to UNODC, the area under poppy cultivation spread to 16 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces in 2026, five more than the previous year. The north-eastern region accounted for three-quarters of the country’s cultivated poppy area, marking a shift from the south-west, where most cultivation took place before the ban.
The report said eradication efforts continued, with the de facto authorities reporting that 22,000 hectares had been cleared. However,
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some farmers appear to have adapted by hiding small poppy plots among cereal fields, planting inside walled compounds and staggering planting and harvesting to avoid detection.
UNODC Executive Director Monica Juma said the increase highlighted the difficulty of sustaining reductions in illicit cultivation when farmers lack alternative sources of income.
"The DFA and the international community need to work together to support farming communities by investing in livelihoods, farming infrastructure and access to markets," Juma said.
The survey also found that opium prices declined slightly, from $570 per kilogram in 2025 to $500 in 2026. Prices nevertheless remain far above pre-ban levels of less than $100 per kilogram, potentially maintaining incentives for cultivation and trafficking.
UNODC warned that regional drug trafficking networks have remained resilient despite the ban. Traffickers may initially have relied on existing opium stockpiles to maintain supplies, but more recent seizure data suggests those stocks are diminishing. The agency’s 2026 World Drug Report also identified early signs of declining heroin supplies in Europe.
With demand and prices remaining high, reduced stockpiles could create further incentives for renewed opium cultivation and production in Afghanistan. UNODC said continued monitoring is needed to determine whether the latest increase is temporary or signals a broader resurgence in opium and heroin production.
Juma called for international cooperation to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks, alongside development programmes that provide farmers with sustainable alternatives to poppy cultivation.
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