Home TRENDING AFGHANISTAN’S OPIUM POPPY SUPPLY DROPS 95% AFTER TALIBAN PROHIBITION, UN REPORTS.

AFGHANISTAN’S OPIUM POPPY SUPPLY DROPS 95% AFTER TALIBAN PROHIBITION, UN REPORTS.

AFGHANISTAN'S OPIUM POPPY SUPPLY DROPS 95% AFTER TALIBAN PROHIBITION, UN REPORTS.

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According to a United Nations report published on Sunday, opium poppy output in Afghanistan, the world’s previous top supplier, has dropped since the Taliban rule prohibited the growing of narcotics last year.

An Afghan man works on a poppy field in Jalalabad province April 17, 2014. PHOTO: REUTERS

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that from the previous year’s 233,000 hectares, opium cultivation dropped to barely 10,800 hectares (26,700 acres) in 2023, reducing supply by 95% to 333 tons.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that the value of poppy exports has at times exceeded the value of all formal exported items, putting a strain on farmers in the war-torn country.

In a country where around two-thirds of the population already needs humanitarian aid, the dramatic fall could have significant ramifications for the economy, the research warned.

Ghada Waly, executive director of UNODC, stated in a statement, “Over the coming months Afghanistan is in dire need of strong investment in sustainable livelihoods to provide Afghan farmers with opportunities away from opium.”

“This presents a real opportunity to build towards long-term results against the illicit opium market and the damage it causes both locally and globally.”

The UNODC warned that while the drastic reduction in opium production in Afghanistan (the country is responsible for supplying an estimated 80 percent of the world’s illegal opium) could eventually lead to a drop in opium usage internationally, it also risks increasing the global use of alternatives like fentanyl or synthetic opioids.

The growing of narcotics was outlawed by the Taliban’s spiritual leader in April 2022, and the Ministry of the Interior announced that it would destroy any remaining crops.

In an effort to gain international credibility under their previous administration in 2000, the Taliban reportedly prohibited poppy farming, only to face widespread opposition as a result.

The production of opium poppies is highly concentrated in many of the provinces where the Taliban has traditionally enjoyed substantial support, such as southern Helmand.

According to the UNODC, many farmers have moved to cultivate wheat despite the fact that it pays far less than poppy.

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