UN says the realm dedicated to opium poppies has dropped to a fraction of that cultivated earlier than the Taliban’s narcotics ban in 2022.
Afghanistan’s once-booming opium business has shrunk dramatically with cultivation falling by 20 % in 2025, in accordance with a United Nations report warning of a pointy rise in artificial drug manufacturing.
The UN Workplace on Medicine and Crime (UNODC) mentioned on Thursday that the realm dedicated to the cultivation of opium poppies dropped from 12,800 to 10,200 hectares (31,630 to 25,200 acres) this yr, barely a fraction of the 232,000 hectares (573,000 acres) cultivated earlier than the Taliban’s narcotics ban took impact in 2022.
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The Taliban, which returned to energy in 2021, outlawed poppy cultivation throughout the nation a yr later, ending many years of reliance on the illicit crop, which as soon as made Afghanistan the world’s largest producer. In 2013, it provided about 74 percent of the opium worldwide.
“After the ban, many farmers turned to rising cereals and different crops. Nevertheless, deteriorating climate circumstances on account of drought and low rainfall have led to greater than 40 % of agricultural land being left fallow,” the UNODC mentioned.
The company estimated Afghanistan’s complete opium output at 296 tonnes in 2024, putting it behind Myanmar for the primary time in many years. Revenues for farmers have plunged by almost half, falling 48 % to about $134m this yr.
Whereas manufacturing has dropped, costs stay excessive, almost 5 instances the pre-ban common, as restricted provide continues to satisfy persistent demand.
Earlier than the ban, Afghan farmers harvested greater than 4,600 tonnes of opium annually regardless of going through detention, harm or demise by the hands of safety forces. For the reason that ban, many of the processing gear has been destroyed, and the geography of cultivation has shifted.
Rise of artificial medicine
The UN report famous that poppy fields have moved to northeastern Afghanistan, notably Badakhshan province, the place some farmers have resisted the crackdown. In Might 2024, clashes between farmers and Taliban forces imposing the ban killed a number of folks.
The UN has urged the worldwide group to assist Afghan farmers develop various livelihoods, a name echoed by the Taliban authorities, which has however struggled to offer financial substitutes for many who as soon as trusted the opium commerce.
On the similar time, the UNODC warned that organised prison networks are more and more turning to artificial medicine, notably methamphetamine, that are simpler to provide and more durable to detect. Seizures in Afghanistan and neighbouring international locations rose by 50 % in late 2024 in contrast with the earlier yr.
“Artificial medicine seem to have turn out to be a brand new financial mannequin for organised prison teams on account of their comparatively straightforward manufacturing, higher issue in detection, and relative resilience to local weather change,” the report mentioned.
Afghanistan’s opium output peaked in 2017 at almost 9,900 tonnes value $1.4bn, accounting for about 7 % of the nation’s gross home product.
