12000 HECTARE OF POPPY DESTROYED IN AFGHANISTAN

PESHAWAR: Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, principal adviser to Afghan interim leader
Hamid Krazai has said that 12,000 hectare areas have cleared of poppy crops
in Afghanistan.

The programme started by the interim Afghan government to destroy poppy
crops was faced with serious opposition in the beginning growers in Helmand
and Ningraher provinces.

Earlier, the interim Afghan set up had decided to provide $250 per hector
to the poppy cultivators but later the amount was raised $750 per hector.

He that said there were difficulties in the provision of promised amount to
all the farmers at initial stage but with the help of donors the government
succeeded in obtaining the objectives, BBC reported.

Ashraf Ghani said the government has made formidable progress in destroying
poppy fields.

He said the decision to destroy poppy fields was taken in a public meeting
in Ningarhar.

To question, Asharf said that majority of the Afghans were true followers
of sacred religion of Islam and they do not want to cultivate poppy on
their land as its cultivation was forbidden in Islam and it was their
conviction that poppy was some thing in injurious to humanity.

He said the growers were ready to stop cultivating poppy but the people of
Afghanistan were facing serious economic problems.

He said the government was trying to provide all necessary things for
cultivation of useful crops in Afghanistan.

To question about Japan conference about poppy cultivation Asharf Ghani
said holding of such type of conferences attract the attention of
international community towards the gruesome issue.

He added that it was useful because the people of Afghanistan had already
taken steps to destroy poppy crops in the country.

He hoped that the world community would come forward and give substantial
support to weed out poppy from Afghanistan.