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Despite Ban, Afghanistan's Opium Harvest Jumps Under Taliban


 Income made by farmers more than tripled from the previous year to $1.4 billion in 2022, making it "the most profitable in years." (file photo)
Income made by farmers more than tripled from the previous year to $1.4 billion in 2022, making it "the most profitable in years." (file photo)

Despite the Taliban's ban on narcotics, Afghanistan's opium cultivation rose by 32 percent in 2022 under the militants' rule. According to an annual report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), released on November 1, opium prices have also soared since the Taliban banned opium cultivation in April. Income made by farmers more than tripled from the previous year to $1.4 billion in 2022, making it "the most profitable in years." For a copy of the report this article was based on, click here.

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