Afghanistan opium crop falls sharply after Taliban ban - UN report

Afghanistan used to produce more than 80% of global opium but a Taliban ban has cut that to a fraction.

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The total area of land for growing opium poppy shrank 20% since last year, while the amount of opium has fallen by 32% over the same period, the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime said in a survey.

Afghanistan used to produce more than 80% of the world's opium, with heroin made from Afghan opium making up 95% of the market in Europe.

But after retaking power the Taliban banned the practice in April 2022, saying opium was harmful and went against their religious beliefs. The UN said most farmers continued to observe the ban despite "severe economic challenges".

Many Afghan farmers are harvesting cereals, but poppy - from which opium, the key ingredient for the drug heroin can be extracted - continues to be "far more profitable" than legitimate crops, the UNODC noted.