UN Report Reveals 95% Decline in Poppy Cultivation in Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan
The UNODC report indicates that poppy cultivation has reduced from 233,000 hectares to 10,800 hectares in 2023, while opium production has fallen from 6,200 tons to 333 tons. This significant drop in the opium economy is causing humanitarian concerns, as farmers are forced to turn to less profitable crops, resulting in a 92% decrease in their incomes.
Karobar
KABUL: Poppy cultivation and opium production in Afghanistan have seen a dramatic decline of 95% since the Taliban authorities implemented a ban on the crop, according to a recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The Taliban, who regained power in 2021, made a commitment to eradicate illegal drug production in the country. In April 2022, they banned the cultivation of the poppy plant, a primary source for opium and heroin production.
The UNODC's report highlights that poppy cultivation has plummeted, estimated to have reduced from 233,000 hectares (575,755 acres) at the end of 2022 to a mere 10,800 hectares in 2023. This substantial decrease in poppy cultivation has also resulted in a significant drop in opium production, which fell from 6,200 tons to just 333 tons in 2023.
Expected harvest for this year is estimated at 24-38 tons of exportable heroin, a stark contrast to the 350-580 tons recorded the previous year.
However, the report also points out potential "humanitarian consequences for many vulnerable rural communities" due to the abrupt contraction of Afghanistan's opium economy. Farmers have been compelled to turn to less profitable alternative crops. Incomes for these farmers have taken a significant hit, dropping from an estimated $1.36 billion in 2022 to $110 million in the current year, a staggering 92% decrease. This loss is predicted to have broader ramifications on Afghanistan's already struggling economy.
Notably, poppy crops represented nearly one-third of the total agricultural production's value in Afghanistan last year, making it the world's leading producer of poppy-derived substances.
UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, as the country grapples with the shock of lost income and faces the challenges of a three-year drought, affecting the production of other crops like cotton and wheat.
The Afghan interior ministry’s narcotics department acknowledged the UNODC's estimates regarding the area under poppy cultivation but disputed other aspects of the report, particularly those related to opium production and socio-economic data. Their objections were based on the report's reliance on satellite images and historical data instead of field-based surveys.
