R
Raymond
Guest
Afghan Recovery Report
Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Independent media group providing news and special reports from
Afghanistan.
"If the government doesn't help us with the harvesters, we'll lose
everything." complained one landowner. It is backbreaking work.
Harvesters typically work two shifts a day.
Harvest in Helmand
It's time to gather opium in the poppy fields, and everyone seems to
be getting involved - even government officials.
And, even small children await the harvest with glee
By IWPR trainees in Helmand (ARR No. 250, 12-Apr-07)
It could only happen in Helmand. On April 8, about 60 landowners
staged a protest in front of the governor's compound in Lashkar Gah,
the capital of this southern Afghan province.
They were demanding that the local authorities step in to resolve a
dispute that was threatening to disrupt the all-important gathering of
the opium crop. The hired labourers, who work as sharecroppers, had
united to force landowners to give them half of the yield, when the
owners insisted that one-fifth was a more reasonable share.
The farm owners wanted the provincial government to mediate.
It might look like democracy in action, except that the Afghan
government is supposed to be engaged in a high-profile campaign to
eradicate the plant.
"We spent all of our money growing the poppy," complained one
landowner. "If the government doesn't help us with the harvesters,
we'll lose everything."
But the workers in the fields are in a strong position. This year's
harvest, boosted by copious amounts of rain, may well be the biggest
ever, so many hands are needed.
Hired labour also comes at a premium since the work is in dangerous,
Taleban-infested areas. Helmand is battling a growing insurgency, and
many areas outside the capital are under Taleban control.
"Last year we had to beg from the landowners," said Abdul Jamil, who
gathers poppy every year. "We wanted one-sixteenth of the harvest and
we apologised even for that.
"But this season, they need us more than we need them. They are
offering a quarter, maybe a third. We are lucky we're united. If they
want us to go into districts where the Taleban are, they'll have to
pay us a lot of money."
By April 9, the harvesters were back at work. According to unconfirmed
reports, the Helmand government imposed a limit of one-quarter of the
opium yield as a fair deal for the labourers.
Afghanistan provides over 90 per cent of the world's supply of opium
poppy. Helmand alone accounts for over 40 per cent of total Afghan
production, making it the world's largest opium producer.
President Hamed Karzai has declared a "jihad on drugs", and the
international community has provided generous funds and expertise to
help deal with the problem. But despite all the time, effort and money
that has gone into eradication, production seems to be going up
relentlessly, at least in Helmand.
Gulbuddin, a local police commander, talked of negotiations over price
rather than interdiction and punitive action. "We're telling the
farmers, 'These are your fields, not ours. The harvesters don't want
to go with you. We cannot make them agree to one half, one-third, or
less'," he said.
With the ripening of the poppy, thousands of seasonal workers pour
into the province from all over Afghanistan, and even from
neighbouring countries. For many, it is their main source of income.
"I am here with six of my friends," said Abdul Baseer, 40, from Wardak
province. "We have a poor life, there are no jobs, and I am already
old. So we came here to earn some money. We do not have poppy in our
province and there are no other jobs, so we come down here every
year."
Local people, including schoolchildren and even civil servants also
get in on the act.
"I work for the government and I make 3,000 afghani [about 60 US
dollars] a month," said Abdul Malek, 35. "My economic position gets
worse day by day. I'm married with four children. I live in a
government-owned house, but I don't have a patron and they are trying
to kick me out.
"I have no other way of making money, so I go off and do 15 days'
harvesting. I might make 10,000 to 12,000 afghani [200-240 dollars].
That could solve my problems."
It is backbreaking work. Harvesters typically work two shifts a day.
Late in the day they go through the fields, making one cut on each of
the bulging poppy pods, so that a milky sap seeps out. This turns into
a sticky brown paste overnight, and this has to be scraped off and
collected early in the morning before the sun gets too hot. Then
another cut is made and the process is repeated for 15 days.
Most migrant workers go from place to place, following the ripening
crop. They may work two or three harvests, earning up to 600 dollars
in the process.
"I live in Lashkar Gah, and my three brothers and I are going to
harvest poppy," said Esmatullah, 24. "We work for four hours in the
morning, and another two or three hours in the afternoon. We are now
in Nadali [a village close to Lashgkar Gah], and when that's finished
we will go on somewhere else. The landowners give us a quarter of the
harvest, which we have to sell to get money."
Despite the one-quarter share deal reportedly brokered by local
officials, labourers may earn less this year once their opium payment
is turned into cash. Overproduction is depressing prices, making it a
buyer's market.
Rahmatullah, a small-time trafficker, explained, "This was a good
year. There was a lot of rain and it will be a big harvest. But the
price is going down."
A month ago, he said, a kilogram of poppy paste would fetch 140
dollars, but now it was going for 90 or even 80 dollars.
"Once the harvest is over, we can buy it even more cheaply from the
workers," he said. "They aren't able to sell everything they earn on
the market. Now we control the market, and we can get a good price."
The farm owners, too, are grumbling about rising costs and falling
prices.
"I have 14 jeribs [28,000 square metres or 2.8 hectares] of land under
poppy," said Abdul Haq, from Nadali. "There was no eradication
campaign where I was, so my fields are fine. I now have 14 harvesters
at work. I've had to sell 20 kilos of poppy to pay for the workers'
expenses."
Experts say that in a good year, one jerib - an Afghan measurement
about 45 metres by 45 metres - will produce around 30 kilos of poppy
paste.
Even small children await the harvest with glee. After the workers are
done, they have free rein to collect and keep anything left in the
fields.
Ahmad, an enterprising 11-year-old, is planning to go out to do his
own harvest again this year.
"I collected poppy last year and bought myself a bicycle," he said
proudly. "I don't need anybody to give me money. I can buy the things
I want for myself."
Shopkeepers, too, are also delighted with the influx of workers
because it boosts business.
"I usually slaughter just one cow a day," said a butcher in the Bolan
district. "But during poppy season, I slaughter up to five. People
need good food, because otherwise the poppy will have a bad effect on
them."
Sawa, who owns a restaurant in Lashkar Gah, was also upbeat. "There
are a lot of harvesters in town," he laughed. "I am making a lot of
money."
But not everyone is so pleased. Given Helmand's precarious security
situation, the arrival of several thousand incomers can be seen as a
threat.
"There are too many harvesters in one place," complained one
shopkeeper. "We can't even drive through town because of all these
people in turbans. They're all wearing black or white turbans, and we
can't differentiate them from the Taleban."
IWPR is implementing a journalism training and reporting project in
Helmand. This story is a compilation of reports by the trainees.
Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Independent media group providing news and special reports from
Afghanistan.
"If the government doesn't help us with the harvesters, we'll lose
everything." complained one landowner. It is backbreaking work.
Harvesters typically work two shifts a day.
Harvest in Helmand
It's time to gather opium in the poppy fields, and everyone seems to
be getting involved - even government officials.
And, even small children await the harvest with glee
By IWPR trainees in Helmand (ARR No. 250, 12-Apr-07)
It could only happen in Helmand. On April 8, about 60 landowners
staged a protest in front of the governor's compound in Lashkar Gah,
the capital of this southern Afghan province.
They were demanding that the local authorities step in to resolve a
dispute that was threatening to disrupt the all-important gathering of
the opium crop. The hired labourers, who work as sharecroppers, had
united to force landowners to give them half of the yield, when the
owners insisted that one-fifth was a more reasonable share.
The farm owners wanted the provincial government to mediate.
It might look like democracy in action, except that the Afghan
government is supposed to be engaged in a high-profile campaign to
eradicate the plant.
"We spent all of our money growing the poppy," complained one
landowner. "If the government doesn't help us with the harvesters,
we'll lose everything."
But the workers in the fields are in a strong position. This year's
harvest, boosted by copious amounts of rain, may well be the biggest
ever, so many hands are needed.
Hired labour also comes at a premium since the work is in dangerous,
Taleban-infested areas. Helmand is battling a growing insurgency, and
many areas outside the capital are under Taleban control.
"Last year we had to beg from the landowners," said Abdul Jamil, who
gathers poppy every year. "We wanted one-sixteenth of the harvest and
we apologised even for that.
"But this season, they need us more than we need them. They are
offering a quarter, maybe a third. We are lucky we're united. If they
want us to go into districts where the Taleban are, they'll have to
pay us a lot of money."
By April 9, the harvesters were back at work. According to unconfirmed
reports, the Helmand government imposed a limit of one-quarter of the
opium yield as a fair deal for the labourers.
Afghanistan provides over 90 per cent of the world's supply of opium
poppy. Helmand alone accounts for over 40 per cent of total Afghan
production, making it the world's largest opium producer.
President Hamed Karzai has declared a "jihad on drugs", and the
international community has provided generous funds and expertise to
help deal with the problem. But despite all the time, effort and money
that has gone into eradication, production seems to be going up
relentlessly, at least in Helmand.
Gulbuddin, a local police commander, talked of negotiations over price
rather than interdiction and punitive action. "We're telling the
farmers, 'These are your fields, not ours. The harvesters don't want
to go with you. We cannot make them agree to one half, one-third, or
less'," he said.
With the ripening of the poppy, thousands of seasonal workers pour
into the province from all over Afghanistan, and even from
neighbouring countries. For many, it is their main source of income.
"I am here with six of my friends," said Abdul Baseer, 40, from Wardak
province. "We have a poor life, there are no jobs, and I am already
old. So we came here to earn some money. We do not have poppy in our
province and there are no other jobs, so we come down here every
year."
Local people, including schoolchildren and even civil servants also
get in on the act.
"I work for the government and I make 3,000 afghani [about 60 US
dollars] a month," said Abdul Malek, 35. "My economic position gets
worse day by day. I'm married with four children. I live in a
government-owned house, but I don't have a patron and they are trying
to kick me out.
"I have no other way of making money, so I go off and do 15 days'
harvesting. I might make 10,000 to 12,000 afghani [200-240 dollars].
That could solve my problems."
It is backbreaking work. Harvesters typically work two shifts a day.
Late in the day they go through the fields, making one cut on each of
the bulging poppy pods, so that a milky sap seeps out. This turns into
a sticky brown paste overnight, and this has to be scraped off and
collected early in the morning before the sun gets too hot. Then
another cut is made and the process is repeated for 15 days.
Most migrant workers go from place to place, following the ripening
crop. They may work two or three harvests, earning up to 600 dollars
in the process.
"I live in Lashkar Gah, and my three brothers and I are going to
harvest poppy," said Esmatullah, 24. "We work for four hours in the
morning, and another two or three hours in the afternoon. We are now
in Nadali [a village close to Lashgkar Gah], and when that's finished
we will go on somewhere else. The landowners give us a quarter of the
harvest, which we have to sell to get money."
Despite the one-quarter share deal reportedly brokered by local
officials, labourers may earn less this year once their opium payment
is turned into cash. Overproduction is depressing prices, making it a
buyer's market.
Rahmatullah, a small-time trafficker, explained, "This was a good
year. There was a lot of rain and it will be a big harvest. But the
price is going down."
A month ago, he said, a kilogram of poppy paste would fetch 140
dollars, but now it was going for 90 or even 80 dollars.
"Once the harvest is over, we can buy it even more cheaply from the
workers," he said. "They aren't able to sell everything they earn on
the market. Now we control the market, and we can get a good price."
The farm owners, too, are grumbling about rising costs and falling
prices.
"I have 14 jeribs [28,000 square metres or 2.8 hectares] of land under
poppy," said Abdul Haq, from Nadali. "There was no eradication
campaign where I was, so my fields are fine. I now have 14 harvesters
at work. I've had to sell 20 kilos of poppy to pay for the workers'
expenses."
Experts say that in a good year, one jerib - an Afghan measurement
about 45 metres by 45 metres - will produce around 30 kilos of poppy
paste.
Even small children await the harvest with glee. After the workers are
done, they have free rein to collect and keep anything left in the
fields.
Ahmad, an enterprising 11-year-old, is planning to go out to do his
own harvest again this year.
"I collected poppy last year and bought myself a bicycle," he said
proudly. "I don't need anybody to give me money. I can buy the things
I want for myself."
Shopkeepers, too, are also delighted with the influx of workers
because it boosts business.
"I usually slaughter just one cow a day," said a butcher in the Bolan
district. "But during poppy season, I slaughter up to five. People
need good food, because otherwise the poppy will have a bad effect on
them."
Sawa, who owns a restaurant in Lashkar Gah, was also upbeat. "There
are a lot of harvesters in town," he laughed. "I am making a lot of
money."
But not everyone is so pleased. Given Helmand's precarious security
situation, the arrival of several thousand incomers can be seen as a
threat.
"There are too many harvesters in one place," complained one
shopkeeper. "We can't even drive through town because of all these
people in turbans. They're all wearing black or white turbans, and we
can't differentiate them from the Taleban."
IWPR is implementing a journalism training and reporting project in
Helmand. This story is a compilation of reports by the trainees.
