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Afghanistan clamps down on poppy cultivation
02/08/2000 12:46 - (SA)
Islamabad - Opium prices in Afghanistan surged by 100 percent after a ban on poppy cultivation clamped by the ruling Taliban militia, Afghan
sources reported on Tuesday.
"Opium prices have registered 100 percent increase since Taliban chief Mulla Mohammad Omar declared a total ban on the crop's
cultivation," the Afghan Islamic Press said.
It said one kilogramme of raw opium was being sold at 63-64 dollars compared to 31-32 dollars before the ban on Friday.
Big traders were buying opium in bulk apparently for the clandestine heroin manufacturing laboratories in Afghanistan, the
Pakistan based private news service said quoting reports from markets in different Afghan cities.
The ban in Afghanistan also triggered a 70 percent increase in opium prices in the bordering regions of Pakistan and a 60 percent
hike in prices of opium seed, it said.
The world's largest opium producer, Afghanistan last year harvested a record 4 600 tonnes, three quarters of the total global output.
In a dramatic move Omar on Friday ordered farmers to completely halt opium cultivation in the war-torn country, including areas controlled by opposition forces.
Omar in his decree, which came two months ahead of the next sowing season, warned farmers would be severely punished and their crops
destroyed if they violated the orders.
The ban, which came amid international condemnation of the Islamic militia for allowing a boom in the opium business, did not spell
out any crop substitution programme for opium farmers.
However Taliban's anti-drug commission officials recently said millions of dollars spent annually by the West in the fight against
drugs could be channelled to Afghan farmers. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA
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