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Afghan farmers stamp on poppies to beat food crisis

25 August 2008

 

Governor Mangal of Helmand ProvinceThe Governor of Afghanistan’s Helmand province, where British soldiers are fighting the Taliban, has launched a bold new plan to stop farmers growing deadly poppy crops and cut down on food shortages.

Backed by DFID, Governor Gulab Mangal has launched the campaign to persuade 26,000 farmers to each grow a hectare of wheat at the expense of poppy cultivation.

Wiping out deadly crops

Afghanistan is facing a major food crisis this autumn, with a drought and soaring food prices leading to shortages and hunger. However, sky-high prices (which have more than doubled in the last year) have encouraged some farmers to move to legal crops.

DFID is donating £2 million to the Governor’s short-term counter narcotics plan, which is also backed by the UK’s Civil-Military Mission to Helmand (providing an extra £2.125 million) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander commented: "The increase in food prices gives Afghan farmers another incentive to put a dent in the illegal drugs trade, by growing alternative crops. The UK is also helping farmers turn, and stay, away from growing poppies by working to improve security and access to markets - critical to combating opium production. And this is about more than just tackling the drugs trade: it's also about addressing food insecurity."

The new initiative comes as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime prepares to publish its opium survey for 2008. In a two-pronged attack, wheat seed, fertilizer and expert advice will be given to farmers in secure areas where crops can easily be monitored. The plan covers 15,000 hectares of farmland.

In dangerous areas where the insurgents are still active, farmers will be able to collect seeds from British military forward operating bases, but will not receive fertilisers which could be used to grow poppies. This could provide another 11,000 hectares of wheat.

The sting in the tail is a warning from the Governor that if farmers given help still grow poppies, their deadly crops will be wiped out. This tough new stance has the twin benefits of cutting down on drugs while feeding the people of Afghanistan.

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Boosting food production

Governor Mangal at Helmand's second Agricultural FairBig strides in farming have been made in Helmand in recent years. Last week the province held its second Agricultural Fair, attracting some 3,000 people.

In the rest of Afghanistan, where security is safer, farmers will be offered vouchers to buy subsidised seed, fertiliser and tools to boost food production.

DFID is providing another £2 million for this project, from which at least 160,000 farmers are expected to benefit. A further £1.5 million will provide loans to agricultural traders to make sure there is sufficient seed to help get farmers planting.

DFID has been at the forefront in providing aid to alleviate the food crisis. As well as giving £5.5 million to help farmers plant wheat this autumn, £6 million has been pledged to the World Food Programme since March 2008.

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