Pakistan, Oct. 31 -- Opium poppy cultivation and opium production in Afghanistan have experienced a massive surge this year, signalling a weakening of the illicit drug ban enforced in recent years, according to the latest report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The Afghanistan Opium Survey 2026: Cultivation, Production and Market Analysis, published this month, highlighted that illicit poppy cultivation expanded sharply across multiple provinces, driven by high market prices, concealed farming tactics, and persistent economic hardships facing rural households.

The U.N. said cultivation was up 330% and production rose by 400% compared with last year. Cultivation rose to more than 43,000 hectares (106,000 ...