UNODC reports rise in opium poppy cultivation, production in Afghanistan; Qani rejects findings — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says its latest survey suggests that opium poppy cultivation and production in Afghanistan have increased compared with last year, although they remain below pre-ban levels in 2022. However, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) rejects the survey’s figures, saying the level of narcotics cultivation has been reduced to almost zero. UNODC announced the findings of its 2026 survey in Kabul today (Thursday), saying opium production had resumed in Afghanistan and increased fivefold compared with the previous year. According to the survey, the area under opium poppy cultivation increased by 330 percent compared with last year, while opium production rose by 400 percent. It said poppy cultivation exceeded 43,000 hectares in 2026, compared with 10,000 hectares in 2025. Estimated opium production reached nearly 1,500 tonnes this year, up from around 300 tonnes last year. It added that although poppy cultivation and opium production remained below the levels recorded before the 2022 narcotics ban, the increase marked the first significant rise since the ban was introduced. The report noted that efforts to eradicate poppy crops were continuing intensively. According to Afghan officials, around 22,000 hectares of poppy fields had been destroyed. At the same time, many farmers appeared to have changed their cultivation methods to avoid enforcement measures. UNODC’s findings indicate that…