Afghan Taliban ban poppy cultivation

PESHAWAR: The Afghan Taliban's supreme leader on Sunday banned poppy cultivation in the country, saying violators would be treated as per the Islamic Sharia law.

Afghanistan is stated to be the world's biggest opium producer.

The announcement to ban poppy cultivation and all types of narcotics, its trade, transportation as well as export and import, was made by the Interior Ministry in Kabul.

“As per the decree of the supreme leader of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, all Afghans are informed that from now on, cultivation of poppy has been strictly prohibited across the country," said an order from the Taliban's supreme leader Sheikh Haibatullah Akhunzada announced at a press conference.

"If anyone violates the decree, the crop will be destroyed immediately and the violator treated according to the Sharia law," the Taliban spokesperson and Deputy Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid added while reading the decree of their supreme leader.

According to Taliban sources, like girls' education, it was also one of the major demands of the international community from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IAE) to ban the cultivation of poppy in the country.
Taliban said it would be difficult to implement the decision in letter and spirit, until and unless they provide alternative sources of income to the farmers.

In 2000 as well, the Taliban had banned poppy cultivation during their tenure and their aim at the time was also to get international support and legitimacy for their rule.

Before the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government and even prior to that, the poppy was largely cultivated in areas that had remained under Taliban control.

According to the United Nations estimates, Afghanistan had produced a bumper opium crop in 2017 worth $1.4 billion.

The crop is mostly grown in south-eastern provinces and is stated to be the most cash crop for farmers.

According to the Taliban sources, no government had made serious efforts in the past to provide alternative means to the farmers and encourage them to grow other crops instead of poppy that give them maximum returns.

In south-eastern Afghanistan, the poppy is mostly grown in Helmand province.

“As compared to the past, the farmers this year cultivated poppy on 10 per cent additional land. The crop is fully grown and will take a month to start producing,” a farmer in Helmand told The News by phone.

Pleading anonymity, he said the farmers would not accept any ban on the cultivation of poppy before the government give them an alternative crop that gives them similar profit equal to poppy.

“It would not be an easy task for the Taliban to immediately stop its cultivation. There are very powerful and influential people involved in poppy cultivation. Even at present, thousands of tons of opium have been stored here in Helmand,” the farmer added.

Also, he said the price of opium had risen alarmingly after reports spread that the Taliban would ban the cultivation of the crops in the country.

Taliban Deputy Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid also said they would take the farmers in confidence before banning the cultivation of poppy.

He said the Taliban would prefer to offer other good crops as profitable as poppy.