Japan has welcomed Afghanistan’s efforts to combat narcotics, describing the reported decline in poppy cultivation since 2022 as a significant development while calling for continued anti-drug measures and sustainable alternative livelihoods for farmers.

The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan made the remarks in response to a recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the country’s narcotics situation.

In a statement, the embassy said Japan highly values Afghanistan’s continued counter-narcotics efforts, emphasizing that lasting progress requires not only reducing poppy cultivation but also providing alternative sources of income for farmers previously dependent on opium production.

Japan also stressed the importance of creating sustainable economic opportunities to help former poppy farmers maintain their livelihoods and prevent a return to narcotics cultivation.

However, the latest UNODC report points to a significant increase in poppy cultivation in 2026 compared with the previous year. According to the report, cultivation rose more than fourfold, reaching approximately 43,300 hectares.

Opium production also increased from around 300 metric tons in 2025 to approximately 1,500 metric tons in 2026, the report said.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior has rejected the UNODC findings, arguing that the figures and assessments do not correspond with official information and evidence collected in the field.

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.