A UN report published on Wednesday said opium poppy production in Afghanistan rose by 19% in 2024, despite a ban by the Taliban government.

Afghanistan was the world's largest supplier of opium before the Taliban banned the cultivation of narcotics in 2022. 

This had caused a 95% drop in production of the drug, which is used to produce heroin and other synthetic opioids.

Despite the increase this year, production still remains significantly below pre-ban levels.

The annual survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said cultivation had increased to 12,800 hectares (about 32,000 acres).

"With opium cultivation remaining at a low level in Afghanistan, we have the opportunity and responsibility to support Afghan farmers to develop sustainable sources of income free from illicit markets. The women and men of Afghanistan continue to face dire financial and humanitarian challenges, and alternative livelihoods are urgently needed," said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC.

Production rises in northeast

Dry opium prices are about $730 (€681) per kilogram, far above the pre-ban average rate which was $100. The high prices may be causing farmers to disregard the ban, said the report. 

Opium is now being produced in the country's northeastern provinces, shifting from the traditional heartland of the southwest, said the report.

Production in the southwest, which borders Pakistan fell 65% this year. The only exception was the Helmand province which saw an increase of more than 400%.

In the northeast, which lies close to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, cultivation rose by 381%, about four times the cultivated area in the southwest.

Most of the northeastern produce came from the mountainous Badakhshan province which lies close to Afghanistan's short border with China.

In May, authorities had sent brigades to Badakhshan to destroy poppy fields which caused clashes and resulted in several deaths.

The Taliban government has requested international assistance to transition farmers to alternative crops or methods of livelihood.

tg/sms (AFP, Reuters)