Afghan farmers say opium price has ‘flourished’ under Taliban

It only announced its first cabinet this week, but the Taliban government is already boosting the Afghan economy – well, one export-reliant sector, anyway.

Opium farmers located near Jalalabad told RT’s news agency Ruptly that prices for the drug have been flying since the militant group’s swift acquisition of the country, which produced 83% of the world’s supply between 2015 and 2020.

‘With the advent of the new government, opium has flourished,’ said farmer Muhamad Islam.

Might the boom be followed by an almighty bust, though? Despite enjoying its financial benefits in recent years, the Taliban has sworn to ban the production and distribution of opium – and the last time it did that, in 2000 to 2001, it reduced production by 99% and, subsequently, the potential global supply of heroin by 65%.

In your face, ‘War on Drugs’.

If they do crack down on opium, the farmers are going to need much more imaginative hiding places for their stash than the ‘secret’ car panels demonstrated in this film.

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