Afghanistan’s opium cultivation falls 20% in 2025, says UN agency

KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV) — Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has fallen by 20% over the past year, continuing a sharp decline since the Taliban imposed a nationwide ban in 2022, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said Thursday.

The 2025 Afghanistan Opium Survey found cultivation down to 10,200 hectares from 12,800 in 2024 and 232,000 before the ban. Opium production also plunged by nearly one-third to 296 tons, while farmers’ income dropped from $260 million to $134 million.

“The ban has sharply reduced opium output, but trafficking networks are adapting,” the report said, noting a 50% rise in seizures of synthetic drugs like methamphetamine.

UNODC officials warned synthetic drugs are easier to produce, harder to detect, and less affected by climate conditions, posing new challenges.

Georgette Gagnon, the UN’s deputy special representative for Afghanistan, said the issue “involves both Afghan and international actors” and urged collaboration through the Doha Process Counternarcotics Working Group.

Many farmers have switched to cereals and legal crops, but drought and low rainfall have left 40% of farmland barren.

The return of nearly four million Afghans from neighboring countries has also strained resources and jobs.

UNODC’s regional representative Oliver Stolpe called for “long-term, coordinated investments” to help farmers find sustainable livelihoods.

The Taliban government, which banned narcotics under a 2022 decree, has not yet commented on the findings.