Efforts on to promote asafetida cultivation in Helmand

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): The government has started efforts to promote cultivation of medicinal plant asafetida, deemed as poppy substitute, in southern Helmand province, provincial Agriculture and Livestock Department officials said on Saturday.

Engineer Mohammad Aslam Bashardost, the head of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department, told Pajhwok Afghan News they had started efforts to encourage farmers towards cultivation of asafetida this year.

He said the Agriculture Department grew asafetida in Helmand province three years ago as a pilot project and it had good outcome.

He said their research showed the climate of Helmand was very suitable for growing asafetida and they expected many farmers would grow the plant this year.

Bashardost said his department would train all farmers who wanted to cultivate grow asafetida on their lands.

Bashardost added: “The season of growing asafetida begins from the first of Dalwa month until the sixth of Hamal month of solar year”.

“Once cultivated, asafetida gives yield for up to 25 years”, he said.

Meanwhile, farmers asked the agriculture department to give them awareness about growing asafetida.

Khalil Ahmad, a resident of Nad Ali district, told Pajhwok that farmers were interested in growing asafetida, but first they wanted to be trained about it.

Khalil said: “Irrigation water in our area is insufficient and the government has banned poppy cultivation, we have enthusiasm for growing asafetida, but we need awareness first”.

Mirza Mohammad, a farmer of Gullab Karez area of Musa Qala district said, that they had no idea about asafetida cultivation and the government must give them information about it.

He said: “We do not know what asafetida is, if it is more beneficial, farmers will enthusiastically grow it, currently we have no awareness about it”.

Since decades, poppy was cultivated in Helmand province, formerly the world’s largest opium producing region, but after the takeover of the Islamic Emirate, poppy or any other drugs were banned.

The Agriculture and Livestock Ministry has been trying to promote alternative crops for poppy.

aw/ma