http://www.tni.org/inthemedia/roses-and-opium-afghanistan

Roses and opium in Afghanistan
Nov 26 2009

Without quick introduction of alternative crops it will be impossible to stop opium
production in Afghanistan.

The fields surrounding the village of Pucha Kala (Five Houses) in Afghanistan used to
be filled with opium poppies. The flowers stretched as far as the eye could see. But
times have changed. Pucha Kala is in Nagahar province, and its governor has put an
end to drugs production.

The policy has been called revolutionary. Nowhere else has it been possible to stop
the lucrative opium trade in this way. Two Dutch researchers, Tom Kramer and
Martin Jelsma, are investigating Afghan drugs policy for Amsterdam’s Transnational
Institute. They know the area well but are not convinced that the success will last.

“Just two years ago, this whole valley was full of opium poppies," says Tom Kramer.

"It’s all gone now. Over the last few years, the governor has been pushing for an end
to opium farming. He has held talks with tribal leaders and offered them help, either
aid programmes or cash, in exchange for their co-operation. It remains to be seen
whether this will prove a real success story. It’s about what happens in the long term.
We’re going to talk to local farmers about their problems and how they see the
future. Let’s walk up here.”

Perfume industry

Halfway up the hill from Pucha Kala, we come across Dauwa Jan. He’s a brisk man in
his thirties and says he started growing opium when he was young. He now grows
roses in his fields. The petals go to make oil for the perfume industry in Western
countries. Despite the fact that a few drops of rose oil are worth a lot of money, he
regrets the loss of his poppy fields.

“Yes, you just earned more with the poppies.”

What makes matters worse is that the farmers never got the help they were
promised. The governor threw millions of US dollars around, but corrupt local officials
just lined their pockets with the money.

The Dutch researchers worry that Dauwa Jan may go back to growing opium. Even if
he has to do it in secret. He shakes his head anxiously:

“We couldn’t do that. The penalties are too harsh. The government has warned that
my house would be torched and that I’d get a 20,000-dollar fine.”

Not poor

Personally, this particular farmer seems to have fared badly under the anti-opium
policy, but his village does not look poor. There are lots of animals to be seen and
children are running round. Researcher Martin Jelsma:

“This is an example of a village where farmers haven’t received personal
compensation, despite having been promised 300 dollars if they agreed to stop
growing opium poppies. They have suffered a considerable loss of earnings.
However, this village has obviously profited from projects for the community as a
whole, such as electricity and a water pump. The standard of living has clearly been
raised, but without providing higher earnings for farmers and their families. This is a
village that has done well because it’s in a productive part of the valley, with enough
water. There are lots of villages that haven’t fared nearly so well.”

Tom Kramer says opium poppies are still grown widely in Uruzgan province, where
Dutch troops are stationed. He thinks it is a good thing that a policy of burning the
opium fields has not been implemented. However, the cultivation of alternative crops
is not being introduced quickly enough. He and his colleagues from the Transnational
Institute believe that the Dutch troops will leave poppy fields behind them when they
eventually pull out of Afghanistan.

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