More than 300 acres of Kandahar’s land cleared of poppy

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok): Banned poppy crop was destroyed on more than 300 acres of land in southern Kandahar province during the past eight months, an official said on Monday.

Kandahar governor’s spokesman Haji Zaid told Pajhwok Afghan News the provincial government was seriously preventing cultivation of poppy after the Islamic Emirate leadership banned the crop.

He said no one was allowed to grow poppy and other illicit plants on their land. He said poppies were destroyed in Arghandab, Panjwai, Zheri, Shawalikot and Maiwand districts.

“So far more than 300 acres of land has been cleared of poppies. The Islamic Emirate does not allow anyone to sow narcotics."

He said all areas in the districts were still being monitored and if anyone planted poppy in any area, it would be eradicated.

However, farmers say the government should provide them with an alternate source of income as other crops could not replace the lucrative poppy crop.

Nazar Mohammad, a resident of Arghandab district, said he had grown poppy on his half an acre of land, but it was destroyed. He said he was reluctant to grow poppy, but had no other option.

He said: "We should be assisted in terms of alternative livelihood, I cannot support my family by cultivating only wheat crop.”

Abdul Samad, a resident of Panjwai district, whose one acre of poppy crop was destroyed, also asked the government to provide facilities to farmers in irrigation and other areas so they were not forced to plant poppy.

He said: "We will never grow opium if we are provided water, seeds, fertilizer and other such things. Wheat, corn and other similar crops even do not cover their expenses.”

Farmers say due to high price of opium, some people are trying to cultivate poppy secretly due to their poor economic situation. However, they said if people’s economic situation improves by planting other profitable crops, they will stop cultivating the banned crop.

Promises held out to farmers about alternative crops are yet to be implemented.

However, Kandahar agriculture department officials  say tens of thousands of farmers have been provided with seeds and chemical fertilizers in different districts --- a process sill ongoing.

Agriculture Director Mawlawi Shams Rahman Musa said they distributed fertilizer and seeds to 42,000 farmers during the past three months in many districts with the help of aid agencies and the assistance would continue.

He called the assistance a kind of alternative to poppy and added they were trying to attract more help for farmers.

Opium was openly sold and purchased in district bazaars of Kandahar until last week, but the authorities banned it.

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