Afghan farmers lose income of more than $1 billion after the Taliban banned poppy cultivation

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A report from the U.N. drugs agency says Afghan farmers lost more than $1 billion of cash income from opium sales after the Taliban banned poppy cultivation. Afghanistan was the world’s biggest opium producer and a major source for heroin in Europe and Asia when the Taliban seized power in August 2021. They pledged to wipe out the country’s drug industry and imposed a formal ban in April 2022. The report from the U.N.’s Office on Drugs and Crime published Sunday said opium cultivation crashed by 95% because of the ban. Afghans are dealing with drought, severe economic hardship and the continued consequences of decades of war and natural disasters.