The Poppy Round Tables
By AKHTAR MOHD
Published: February 12th, 2010
- KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN: Farmers, mullahs, and community leaders have opened up a dialogue on poppy cultivation in several provinces of Southern Afghanistan, including Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan.
- KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN: Among the issues they hope to tackle are the reasons why farmers are interested in growing this illicit crop as opposed to other agricultural products.
- KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN: This dialogue addresses the resurgence of the poppy trade since 2001, it considers possible alternative crops, and examines the role of poppy cultivation in Islam.
- KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN: This roundtable, which took place in Kandahar province in September 2009, was recorded and broadcasted on several local radio stations. The people involved in these roundtables hope that an open dialogue may lead to a change in the ways most Afghan farmers think of poppy cultivation and opium production.