Afghan farmers struggle to adapt to Taliban's opium ban

Cultivation plummets following an April 2022 decree, exacerbating economic crisis

20230720 Campaign to destroy poppy fields begins in Afghanistan

Opium poppy fields in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, are seen in this April 16 photo. © AP

KANIKA GUPTA, Contributing writer

BERLIN -- As Afghanistan's opium ban moves into its second year, fears are rising that counternarcotics initiatives will further damage the country's crisis-hit economy -- particularly the income of farmers.

The Taliban government imposed a blanket ban on narcotics in April 2022, including the cultivation of opium poppies. The country is the world's biggest producer of the plant, accounting for 85% of global production.

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