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*** poppies used to cover the fields here in Nangarhar province,
Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan. This rural economy used to depend on it.
Poppy cultivation is prohibited in Islam. We know that we are committing a sin.
We do not grow it because we like to. We have no other choice.
Like many others, Mohammad Qayoum traded poppies for wheat in 2005,
when the government began to crack down on farmers who cultivated the illegal crop.
His timing was lucky. A year later,
more than 60 local poppy farmers were arrested and jailed.
They told us not to grow poppy because it will harm our country,
and harm our reputation globally. They promised to provide assistance to us.
The government has proclaimed Nangarhar “poppy free,”
but things aren’t easy for Qayoum, a father of seven children.
His farm is just 4,000 square meters.
It used to be enough to live on, when he was harvesting poppies.
We earn 25,000 Afghanis (AFA) (U.S.$500) from 2,000 square meters
of land used to grow wheat. But for poppy, we earn U.S.$3,000.
With his income reduced to a fraction of what it was when he grew poppy,
Qayoum has taken other jobs to provide for his family.
He's a school teacher and works as a shopkeeper to make ends meet.
The government has given warnings. It has put pressure on us,
but the government has not fulfilled its promises of assistance.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that
just one quarter of villages that used to grow poppy have received farming help,
in the form of seeds, fertilizers and irrigation facilities.
These farmers say they were promised seeds and equipment on a regular basis.
But they have received only a couple bags of fertilizers and wheat.
They criticize the United States for spending money on fighting drugs
rather than helping farmers develop alternative sources of income.
The United States donated a lot of money to Afghanistan,
but it was not spent well. It hasn’t helped poor people, just the rich.
The government denies promising aid to farmers who stop growing poppies.
Instead, it has used the threat of the law.
Some farmers support the government’s efforts. Naseer Ahmad has 12 children.
Despite living in poverty, and taking a second job as a teacher,
he says he never has, or wants to, grow poppies.
We have a saying: "There is no regret for not doing bad things."
People face difficulties and problems, but it doesn’t mean
they should do things against Islam that harm society, just for money.
But others are demanding more help from their government.
The UN says villages that don't get aid are more likely to grow poppies.
Poppy cultivatation here is a fraction of what it used to be,
but Afghanistan remains the largest drug producer in the world.
Many poppy farms are in areas controlled by the Taliban,
out of reach of foreign assistance.