Afghanistan’s opium prices have surged tenfold since a drug ban in 2022, reaching $750 per kilogram. Despite a decrease in cultivation, the opium trade remains lucrative, benefitting organized crime. Many farmers are struggling financially, with calls for sustainable alternatives to prevent a return to poppy cultivation and concerns about a shift to synthetic opioids. The UNODC advocates for a coordinated international response.
The price of opium in Afghanistan has dramatically increased, surging tenfold following the drug ban imposed by the de facto authorities in 2022. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a kilogram of opium now costs approximately $750, up from $75 three years ago, despite a decrease in poppy cultivation and production. Afghanistan continues to play a central role in the global opium trade, alongside Colombia and Myanmar.
Although seizures of heroin and opium have decreased by 50% since 2021, the UNODC has indicated that rising prices have not hindered the lucrative drug trade. Instead, profits are becoming more concentrated within high-level traders and organized crime networks that dominate the illegal market. UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly emphasized, “Drug trafficking in Afghanistan remains a highly profitable illicit trade.”
As of the end of 2022, Afghanistan’s opiate stockpiles were estimated at 13,200 tonnes, sufficient to meet global demand until 2027. Prior to the decline in cultivation, these stockpiles were worth between $4.6 billion and $5.9 billion, making up nearly a quarter of Afghanistan’s economy in 2023. Despite soaring prices, many Afghan farmers face significant financial difficulties, with larger traders and exporters controlling approximately 60% of remaining opium stockpiles.
The UNODC warned that most farmers who previously relied on opium cultivation are enduring severe financial hardships and underscored the necessity for sustainable economic alternatives to deter a return to poppy cultivation. The scarcity of opium may also drive buyers and traffickers toward more dangerous synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, increasing public health risks.
In light of these challenges, the UNODC has called for a coordinated international response that not only targets trafficking networks but also invests in alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers to promote long-term stability.
In summary, Afghanistan’s opium prices have escalated sharply due to the 2022 drug ban, raising concerns about the concentration of profits among organized crime groups. Farmers are facing severe financial strains, necessitating urgent development of alternative livelihoods to prevent a resurgence of poppy cultivation. The potential shift toward synthetic opioids further complicates the situation, prompting the call for coordinated international action to address these issues.
Original Source: daryo.uz
