Opium poppy cultivation surges in Iran’s Kermanshah

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s Kermanshah province is witnessing an increase in opium poppy cultivation, driven by water shortages, limited employment opportunities for farmers, and growing demand.

“Farmers have faced many problems and they are forced to do this work because they have no other source of income. All their wealth lies in agriculture, and if they plant wheat, barley, or chickpeas, a single year of drought can destroy their crops,” a farmer from the province told Rudaw on the condition of anonymity. 

Opium poppies are more drought-tolerant than the traditional crops and, according to the farmer, “the income is at least ten times greater.”

The Kurdish provinces in Iran’s west have always struggled with high unemployment and poverty, blamed on a lack of investment and shortage of services.

“My home is in Kermanshah. I have no work and the economic situation is bad. There is high unemployment in Kermanshah. My family is in Kermanshah. I come to the village and together with my relatives who have land, we jointly cultivate poppies,” said another farmer.

The authorities are cracking down on the poppy farms. The prosecutor’s office in Kermanshah warned in January that “serious action will be taken against those who engage in opium poppy cultivation,” according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

"Last year, a large number of police came and destroyed everything and completely took away the crop, but thanks be to God, this year is good and we are busy harvesting the crop,” another farmer told Rudaw, adding that they have buyers coming from Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, and Shiraz.

The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) has a range of uses. “It's a traditional crop and is used for medicine and sedatives,” said a farmer.  

The opium poppy is a source of opioids such as morphine and codeine, used for pain relief and cough suppression. The plant is also cultivated illegally for narcotic production, with extracted opium often refined into heroin.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime describes illicit drugs as a major challenge for Iran due to its geographical location and porous borders with neighbors. 

Drug-related crimes account for many of Iran’s executions, which Amnesty International in June called a “deadly war on the poor” that targets disadvantaged and marginalized communities. The monitor documented 505 drug-related executions in 2024, making up 52 percent of the total.

Nasser Piroti contributed to this article.