AFGHANISTAN: SAFFRON VS OPIUM, IT’S “WAR” IN THE WEST AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING. IN SHINDAND THE RACE TO GET TONS OF THE BULBS DISTRIBUTED BY THE ITALIAN PRT

Tons of saffron bulbs to replace opium poppy cultivations together with work tools and fertilizers are persuading Afghans to abandon illicit crops and earn money from a trade that could become their new “gold”. In a town in western Afghanistan, Shindand, the “elders” of the surrounding villages come en masse to pick up the ten tons of bags of saffron bulbs, which they will then distribute to local farmers. Under the scorching sun dozens of Afghans travel through endless fields, down mountains and crowd around the trucks that have also come from far away, escorted by ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) against attacks of the rebels, who finance themselves with the drug trade. The officials of the Afghan security forces unscrupulously beat children who dare approach the bags of saffron bulbs.

In western Afghanistan the “opium economy” thrives on local and southern production. The prohibited ”goods” for the most part go to neighboring Iran, but also to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. To remove this sad reputation from Afghanistan as leaders in the opium poppy cultivation, the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Heart, for the third consecutive year now is engaged in the project of distributing saffron bulbs at the request of the Department of Agriculture, the Anti-narcotics Department and the Provincial Council for development. The goal is “to distribute 60 tons (31 of which have already been consigned, ed) of saffron bulbs to 350 families, (12 people per family) and 7.5 tons of fertilizers” in the districts of Shindand, Pashton Zarghon, Injil, Karokh, Zinda Jan, Koshan and Kushk-i-Kohnah, Colonel Emmanuel Aresu, commander of the PRT told AKI (Adnkronos International). The goal is to convince the local people that the transition from one type of crop to another means fewer problems but also guarantees profits. However, there are many people who believe that these revenues will be lower than those derived from opium, which fuels corruption and undermines efforts to strengthen the institutions of the country, supports the rebels and contributes to the flourishing of narco trafficking groups.

Source: Adnkronos International