Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A United Nations report on opium growth in Afghanistan finds cultivation of the poppy plant increased by 32% since the Taliban has taken control of the country.
Afghanistan is the world's largest grower of opium, and its supply skyrocketed in year-to-year growth. In 2020, the country cultivated 233,000 hectares, which increased by 32% in 2021.
The 2022 crop will be the third-largest area under cultivation since the United Nations Office on Drug Crimes began monitoring opium growth. A hectare is equal to 2.4711 acres.
It is estimated that Afghanistan supplies opium to eight out of 10 opiate users worldwide. Though opium is used in many pain-relieving prescription drugs, it is also the key ingredient to heroin.
In the United States alone, about 143,000 people died from heroin overdoses between 1999-2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Prescription opioids are also highly addictive and overdoses can be fatal. In 2020, more than 74% of all drug overdose deaths were from opioids.
"The international community must work to address the acute needs of the Afghan people, and to step up responses to stop the criminal groups trafficking heroin and harming people in countries around the world," UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly said.
As overall cultivation increased, yields were down by about 10 kilograms per hectare, due to drought conditions. The total harvest of 6,200 tons is 10% smaller than last year, yet it is still enough to produce and export up to 380 tons of heroin.
The Taliban announced a ban on the cultivation of opium poppies in April. This has not stopped trafficking out of the country, but it has increased prices. The 2022 harvest is the most profitable for farmers since 2017.
Per kilogram prices nearly doubled. When the Taliban took control in 2021, a kilogram of opium cost about $116. After the announcement of the ban, the price increased to $203 per kilogram.
Opium's increased value has made it an even larger contributor to the Afghan agriculture economy. The illicit drug market accounted for 29% of the country's total agricultural economy in 2021.