17 March 2009
Long a hot-spot for opium farming, Afghanistan's Helmand province is heading in a new direction thanks to an initiative backed by DFID. Farmers are eschewing opium poppies in favour of the crop that once earned the southern province the title of the "bread basket of Afghanistan". The initiative, which provides farmers with wheat seeds and fertiliser, was set up by Helmand's governor, Gulab Mangal, as a way of stamping out the country's drugs trade. It should also go some way to securing food supplies in the face of rising prices and drought.
Meeting essential needs
Forty-four-year-old Deena lives near Lashkar Gar town. After spending five years in exile in Pakistan, Deena and her husband returned to live in Helmand when the Taliban fell in 2002. But during their absence, their land had been turned over to poppy cultivation.
"My husband continued to grow poppy," says Deena. "It was easy: it was already there and we got a good price for it." Plus, she says, there wasn't enough money around to pay for wheat and fertiliser.
However, last year, the poppy in the area was eradicated by the government. Not only did Deena and her family lose their major source of income, years of poppy-growing had taken nutrients from the land, making it hard to cultivate other crops.
Then Deena's husband learned about Governor Mangal's programme. "He planted 8 jeribs (just under 2 hectares) of wheat last autumn," she says, "leaving 2 jeribs for cotton. I went to check the crop last Friday and it was looking good: you can see the wheat starting to grow, and it looked strong. The fertiliser has been important."
Having plenty of wheat available means Deena no longer has to worry about feeding her seven children. "This year I'm happy that I won’t have to buy wheat in the market," she says.
A fresh start
Like Deena's husband, Homayoon spent years growing poppy. Along with his two brothers, the 45-year-old farms 90 jeribs (18 hectares) of land, supporting an extended family of more than 60 people. "The money we got for the poppy was good," he says, "but the Taliban took taxes on it."
Although two years ago Homayoon and his brothers started to grow fruit and vegetables, such as melons and carrots, the yield they obtained was not enough to feed the whole family. When poppy crops were eradicated in the area last year, circumstances became desperate.
But with fertiliser and two sacks of wheat provided by the initiative, Homayoon was able to plant 60 jeribs of wheat and 30 jeribs of other crops (including melons and okra).
"It will be good not to worry about feeding my family, and not to pay money to the Taliban," he says. "Opium is a forbidden crop and I've seen its effects on young people in Afghanistan. It makes people sleepy and lazy. I’m glad not to be growing it anymore."
Better than poppy
Homayoon's words are echoed by other farmers throughout the province. "Wheat is so much better than poppy," says Mustafa, 30. "If we cultivate poppy and store the opium, we can't eat it. But we can store and eat the wheat, and my family will not be hungry. And if there's some left over, I'll sell it. The government has agreed to buy our wheat at a good price."
For 42-year-old Saida, whose husband works as a farmer outside Lashkar Gar, the replacement of opium with wheat crops is a cause for relief. "I know that we'll not need to buy as much food for the family," she says. "I feel more relaxed." It is a feeling that thousands of families across Helmand will now be able to share.
Facts and stats
- Governor Mangal's £6 million "Food Zone" counter-narcotics programme includes the distribution of wheat seed and fertiliser to 32,000 farmers within a designated area in Helmand.
- DFID contributed £2 million towards the initiative. Other partners include USAID.
