Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior has rejected a United Nations report estimating that opium poppy cultivation in the country more than quadrupled in 2026, arguing that the findings contradict its official data and field evidence.

Abdul Mateen Qani, the ministry’s spokesperson, said the UN report had failed to accurately reflect conditions on the ground and overlooked the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to eradicate narcotics-producing crops.

According to the latest report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan reached an estimated 43,300 hectares this year, up more than fourfold from 2025. Opium production also increased from around 300 metric tons to approximately 1,500 metric tons.

Despite the sharp rise, cultivation remains well below the 2021 level, when about 177,000 hectares of land were used to grow opium poppies.

The report also noted that IEA forces cleared more than 26,000 hectares of land in poppy-growing provinces of narcotics-producing plants this year.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that satellite imagery and estimates alone cannot provide a sufficient basis for definitive conclusions unless eradication operations and field evidence are also taken into account. It also questioned the use of unofficial information in calculating cultivation and production figures.

The ministry called on the UNODC to ensure that its assessments accurately reflect conditions on the ground, while emphasizing that sustained efforts to combat narcotics require more than law enforcement.

It said support for farmers, the development of alternative livelihoods, the expansion of legal agriculture and treatment for people with drug addiction were also essential to tackling the problem.

The ministry urged international organizations to support Afghanistan’s anti-narcotics efforts through what it described as accurate assessments and practical cooperation.

Afghanistan’s U-15 national football team defeated India 2-1 in the quarter-finals of Tier C at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan on Thursday.

The match marked Afghanistan’s eighth appearance in the competition, with the young Afghan side recording their fifth victory.

Afghanistan will face Hungary in the semi-finals of the placement competition for positions 81 to 88 later on Thursday.

Afghanistan’s Standard and Quality Authority (ASQA) has held talks with counterparts from Turkey, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan to expand technical cooperation and strengthen the country’s standards and quality infrastructure.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), according to ASQA.

The Afghan delegation, led by ASQA Technical Deputy Mohammad Asif Qanit and Chief of Staff Wahid Ahmad Badri, met with representatives of the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) to discuss employee training, quality certification, technical standards, laboratory services and bilateral cooperation.

The two sides also discussed a United Nations Development Programme initiative supported by Turkey, which focuses on building technical capacity and creating employment opportunities for Afghans.

Turkish officials expressed their willingness to maintain engagement with their Afghan counterparts and invited the delegation to visit the institution in Turkey, including its laboratories and operational facilities, ASQA said.

In talks with Uzbekistan’s Agency for Technical Regulation and Standardization, the Afghan delegation explored potential areas for technical cooperation.

Separate discussions with the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) focused on strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation through diplomatic channels.

Representatives of Kazakhstan’s Institute of Standardization and Metrology (KazStandard) also met with the Afghan delegation and expressed readiness to provide technical assistance.

ASQA said the meetings form part of its efforts to broaden engagement with regional and international standards organizations, improve technical expertise and advance Afghanistan’s standards and quality sector.

The authority added that stronger international partnerships could help develop laboratory services, improve quality certification and support the implementation of technical standards across Afghanistan.