Afghanistan: The Poppy Problem

A UN report released today informs us that opium production,a crucial source of funds for the Taliban has dropped in Afghanistan . Why? The report’s authors say they are two key factors to explain the countrywide reduction in poppy production. One reason is strong political and religious leadership, particularly in the eastern province of Nangahar, for pressuring farmers not to grow the crop. The other is the drought this year, which led to a large-scale crop failure in the north and north-west of the country. Which of those two reasons seems stronger to you? “Pressure” - with unspecified effects - mainly in one province, or drought, whose effects can be measured more thoroughly? My money’s on drought. I think the UN mentioned the “pressure” just to toss everyone a bone - hell, six months ago the UN was predicting that this year’s crop would come close to last year’s record levels , and wasn’t waxing too optimistic abou...