Last year, Nangahar province in Afghanistan reduced opium poppy cultivation by 96%. This reduction contributed 60% of the country's overall reduction in cultivation in 2004 (although higher yields on existing cultivation negated the effect).
This reduction was in large part due to promises of seeds for new cash crops, financial support, and improved infrastructure. Of course, this didn't happen. The money allocated for this was inevitably lost in the state's corruption, mismanagement, and misallocation. The result was that the economy in the province declined by 60%.
This year, the farmers have resumed poppy production (which at $6,500 a hectare is 10x what could be achieved through other crops). Tom Coghlan, of the London Telegraph reports that a huge council of the traditionally fractious tribes have decided to form a mutual defense front against eradication efforts of their poppy crop -- Malik Zahir, 40, chief of Darga village: "Every tribe is committed to fight. There will be 100 per cent cultivation."
The bottoms up process of global guerrilla formation is well underway in Afghanistan, driven by a desire for economic advancement using any and all means necessary. This is going to be a very tough year for the US and its allies in the country.
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