More Balkh land brought under poppy this year

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Farmers have grown poppy crop in their fields for a second year in northern Balkh province, which once remained poppy-free for eight years.

Poppy cultivation has increased by several times in some districts of the province.

Balkh farmers say the government has assured them their poppy farms would be not destroyed. On the other hand, the government says it plan to eradicate poppy is unalterable.

Farmers in Balkh district resumed poppy growing two years back.  Mohammad Younas, a resident of Wazirabad area of the district, told Pajhwok Afghan News more land was brought under poppy cultivation in their area compared to last year.

The illicit plant, cultivated about a month ago, has recently sprouted, he said. “Last year we cultivated poppy on one acre of land and the government did not say anything about it, we this year cultivated the plant on three acres of land,” he said.

Most farmers cultivated poppy in areas farmlands where water was inaccessible or in short supply, he said, adding some farmers had cultivated poppy on up to 10 acres of land in the area.

A resident of Chamtal district, Sayed Gul, said most farmers had cultivated poppy in their area.

He said some farmers had cultivated the plant on up to 30 acres of farmland. “Poppy costs less and need little effort to grow,” he said.

He said if a farmer grew cotton in one acre of land, it would earn him 50,000 afghanis, but the same area would earn around 150,000 afghanis from poppy crop.

Local officials said they would enforce the law on any farmer who cultivated poppy in Balkh.

Balkh governor’s spokesman, Munir Farhad, confirmed last year’s poppy cultivation and said they had heard rumors about cultivation of the plant this year as well, but there were no credible reports about it. He said the government had planned to eradicate poppy farms in Balkh.

“Balkh governor is decisive this year in fighting narcotics, he would not let anyone grow poppy in the province,” he said.

Farhad confirmed farmers’ problems and said efforts were underway to provide different facilities to growers in the province.

He said poppy cultivation had been zero for eight years in Balkh and its reproduction started only two years ago. “The government is trying to revive the zero cultivation status.”

mds/ma