Afghan farmers struggle to adapt to Taliban's opium ban

Cultivation plummets following an April 2022 decree, exacerbating economic crisis

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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