UN: Afghan opium prices skyrocket following ban on poppy cultivation
The price of opium in Afghanistan surged to $750 per kilogram in 2024, a tenfold increase compared to two years prior, according to a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Wednesday.
The spike follows the Taliban government's ban on poppy cultivation in 2022 and destruction of crops.
This led to a significant reduction in opium production, the report released on Wednesday said. But drug traffickers are profiting greatly due to the resulting high prices.
The report revealed that Afghanistan's opium stockpiles at the end of 2022 were estimated at 13,200 tons, enough to potentially meet global demand for Afghan opiates until 2027.
Ghada Waly, executive director of UNODC, warned the profits from the drug trade are being funnelled into trans-national organized crime groups, which are destabilizing Afghanistan, the region, and beyond.
She stressed the need for a coordinated strategy to combat trafficking networks and provide alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers.
Many Afghan farmers are facing financial hardship because they can no longer cultivate opium due to the ban. The UNODC urged urgent support for these farmers, including offering alternatives to prevent them from returning to poppy cultivation.
Afghanistan was for years the world's primary source of opium.
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