WASHIR (Afghanistan aEUR) Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have launched a campaign to eradicate poppy farming. They want to end the country’s huge production of heroin and opium, while farmers worry about their future.
A tractor was tearing down a field of poppies in Washir district, southern Helmand province. Armed Taliban fighters stood watch as they did so. The owner of the field stood nearby, watching.
In April, the Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan nine months ago issued an edict banning all poppy cultivation in the country.
Mullah Abdul Haq Akhund said that those who violate the ban will be taken into custody and tried in accordance with Sharia laws by the relevant courts. He was speaking on behalf of the Taliban deputy interior minister for counternarcotics in Helmand’s provincial capital Lashkar Gah.
Afghanistan is the largest opium producer in the world and a major supplier of heroin in Europe, Asia and Europe. Despite billions of dollars spent by America to end poppy cultivation, production has soared over the last 20 years.
However, the ban could be a devastating blow to millions of poor farmers and day laborers who depend on the crop’s proceeds to survive. This ban comes at a time when Afghanistan’s economy is in crisis, having been cut off from international financing following the Taliban takeover. The country is experiencing its worst drought in many years, with most of its population unable to afford food.
Noor Mohammed, a Washir poppy farmer who was destroyed by Taliban tractors, stated that his land is too small and lacks water so he cannot grow less profitable crops.
He said that poppies would not be cultivated if they were not allowed to.
Day laborers can make up to $300 per month by harvesting opium poppies. The promise of the poppy harvest is often used by villagers to borrow money for staples like flour, sugar, and heating oil.
Helmand is Afghanistan’s heartland for poppy cultivation. The new campaign seemed to be primarily targeting those who had planted their crops after the ban. Others who had previously planted succeeded in harvesting. They went from plant to plant, cut the bulb of the poppy, and then took the sap out. This is the raw material for opium.
Akhund, the deputy minister of interior, stated that the Taliban were in contact with other governments and nongovernmental organizations to find alternative crops for farmers.
Abdul Nafi Takor, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, stated that the eradication campaign would be conducted across the country. He told the AP that he was committed to reducing poppy cultivation to zero.
It is not known how many poppies were grown this year, how much was harvested, and how many areas the Taliban have destroyed so far.
However, Afghanistan’s production has been steadily increasing and has reached new heights each year in recent years. According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, 177,000 hectares (438 000 acres) of poppies were planted in 2021. This yielded enough opium to make up to 650 tons heroin. This was an increase of up to 590 tonnes of heroin that was produced in 2020.
According to the UNODC’s most recent report, Afghanistan’s total opiates production was worth $1.8-$2.7billion in 2021, which is approximately 14% of Afghanistan’s GDP. This figure exceeds the value of Afghanistan’s legal exports.
The Taliban banned poppy cultivation during their time at power in the late 90s. They also destroyed croplands in a campaign that nearly ended production in two years, according the United Nations.
Many farmers went back to planting poppies after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Washington spent nearly $8 billion over the next 20 years to eliminate Afghan poppy cultivation. It only continued to increase: In 2002, 75,000 acres were planted with poppies and produced 3,400 tons of heroin. Production was nearly doubled last year.
The Taliban insurgency lasted for years and the movement made millions by taxing farmers and middlemen who helped them move their drugs to Afghanistan. The drug trade was reportedly a lucrative business for senior officials in the U.S.-backed government.
Afghanistan’s current opium production is more than any other opium-producing country. Nearly 80% (or a third) of heroin made from Afghan opium is exported to Europe via Central Asia and Pakistan.
