Herat farmers turn to potatoes as alternative to poppy

HERAT -- Farmers in Herat province are increasingly turning to potato cultivation because it offers a better income and requires fewer expenses and less effort than poppy cultivation.

Mohammad Gul Amiri, 42, cultivated potatoes on 0.4 hectare of land this year and has harvested nearly 20 tonnes of potatoes.

He said that after giving up poppy cultivation, growing potatoes has improved his economic situation.

"Drugs have ruined the lives of many of our youth. Poppy crop ruins families bringing nothing but poverty," Amiri said. "Many of the youth in our village are addicted to drugs because of poppy cultivation."

"We, the farmers in our village, have decided not to cultivate poppies anymore. All of us have stopped growing this destructive crop," he said. "Potato cultivation has grown in our village, which has increased 20 times more than last year."

Farmers' yields were better this year than last year because of the timely arrival of water from the Salma Dam, he said.

Potatoes were cultivated on 950 hectares of land in the province this year, said Bashir Ahmadi Ahmadi, technical deputy director of the Herat Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock.

"Based on forecasts, more than 17,000 metric tonnes of potatoes will be harvested in Herat this year," he said, adding that the amount of land planted with potatoes is "much higher than last year".

"In parts of Herat, more farmers are interested in growing potatoes due to their better yields," he said.

"Potatoes have a very suitable market in Herat. Four kilogrammes of potatoes are sold for 120-150 AFN [$1.40-1.75] in the markets in Herat," Ahmadi said. "Besides that, there are several chips manufacturing factories in the Industrial City of Herat. They buy potatoes from farmers for a reasonable price."

In the past, potatoes were only cultivated in Injil and Guzara districts of Herat, but in the past two years, potato cultivation has extended to Zindajan, Ghorian, Pashtun Zarghun, Obe and Chesht-e-Sharif districts.

Picking potatoes

Farmers in Herat say their economic situation has improved by giving up the haram cultivation of opium poppies and switching to halal crops such as potatoes.

Abdul Qayoum, 34, a farmer in Guzara district, said that by selling potatoes this year, he has earned as much as five years of poppy cultivation.

"I used to cultivate poppies, but my yields were low," he said. "It also led to the addiction of many youths in our village. Some of them are educated youths, who became addicted due to unemployment and since drugs were easily available to them."

"They have to steal to find drugs," he added.

"Economically, potato yields are much better than poppy cultivation," Qayoum said.

"I have so far picked nearly three tonnes of potatoes since the start of the season," he said, adding, "The potato harvest will continue for a few more days and will have more yields."

Qayoum said he will never again cultivate haram poppies and that his economic situation will continue to improve by cultivating potatoes and other alternative crops.

Sayed Ahmad, 61, a farmer in Guzara district, said he has cultivated potatoes on 0.4 hectare of land this year and wants to cultivate potatoes on more land next year.

"Poppies have no income because they are haram. It did not matter how hard I worked, it wouldn't work and I was becoming poorer and poorer every year," Ahmad said.

"I have been growing potatoes for two years, which has good returns," he added. "I have cultivated potatoes on land twice the size of land I cultivated potatoes last year and made good money."

While poppy yields only covered the expenses of growing them, potatoes make back five times the money it takes to grow them, he said.

The main profits from poppies go to drug traffickers, Ahmad said, adding that he will never again work for the profit of traffickers and has abandoned poppy cultivation forever.

'Critical' support

While potato yields are proving profitable, farmers who have abandoned poppy cultivation say they want more support from international aid agencies.

Wali Mohammad, 47, cultivates potatoes on 0.2 hectare of land and wheat on 0.8 hectare of land in Guzara district.

Water shortages and the high prices of chemical fertilisers are the main challenges farmers face, he said.

"If we receive the needed amount of chemical fertiliser, we will be able to have more yields," he said, pointing to other improvements in agriculture thanks to international aid.

"International aid agencies support us in horticulture and have provided us with animal feed," he said. "Our orchard yields have doubled, thanks to the support of the aid agencies."

Sher Ahmad, 37, said he has cultivated potatoes on 0.2 hectare of land and wheat on 1 hectare in Guzara district, but he could not afford to buy the chemical fertiliser needed for his crops to flourish.

"Support from the aid agencies is critical for us," he said. "If they support us in the provision of chemical fertilisers and pesticides to fight diseases, our agricultural yields will increase."

"Chemical fertiliser and pesticides are pricy and we cannot afford to buy them," he added.

"In the past two years, several international aid agencies have supported us by building dams, canals and retaining walls," Ahmad said. "These projects have been very effective for us and have helped increase our yields."