Opium poppy plantation in Afghanistan. UN: Rise in Afghan opium production despite Taliban ban highlights farmers’ plight Economic development
Opium production in Afghanistan rose by 19 percent in 2024 despite a ban imposed by the Taliban, according to a report released Wednesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The rise followed a 95 percent decline in 2023, but opium production is still well below 2022 levels.
UNODC Executive Director Ghada Wali stressed the need to create alternatives for Afghan farmers given their challenges.
“As opium production in Afghanistan remains at a low level, we have a responsibility and an opportunity to support Afghan farmers in developing sustainable livelihoods outside of illicit markets,” she said.
“Women and men in Afghanistan continue to face serious financial and humanitarian challenges and urgently need alternative livelihoods,” Wali added.
Opium production has shifted to the northeast
The UNODC report notes a marked geographical shift in opium poppy cultivation patterns. While southwest Afghanistan has traditionally been the country’s opium heartland, 59 percent of opium production this year came from the northeastern provinces. This represents a nearly fourfold increase in the region compared with last year.
According to the UNODC, market dynamics, coupled with the difficulties faced by farmers, may be one factor behind the resurgence in opium production. Dry opium extract prices in the first half of 2024 are around $730 per kilogram, much higher than pre-ban prices of around $100 per kilogram.
The UNODC notes that high prices and dwindling opium stocks may encourage farmers to flout the ban, particularly in areas outside traditional cultivation centres, including neighbouring countries. Farmers who have no alternatives and are in dire financial straits need support.
Need for International Support
Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN mission in the country, said that while the reduction in opium production is a positive development not only for Afghanistan, but also for the region and the world.
At the same time, she noted the difficult situation that farmers find themselves in. Rural communities have lost a vital source of income and urgently need international assistance to help them abandon opium production.
“They desperately need international support,” Otunbayeva said.