Kandahar Food Zone Program providing alternatives to poppy cultivation

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has executed the Food Zone Program in Kandahar which provides alternatives to poppy cultivation.

From September 5 to 15 the program trained 50 people on community-based planning to support alternative to poppy cultivation training, including representatives of governor’s office, local government departments, district governors, members of district development assemblies and Kandahar Food Zone’s newly hired social capital strengthening officers.

These officers will facilitate, monitor and evaluate the alternative livelihood and infrastructure projects in coordination with communities and the sub-contractors.

They were trained to conduct a survey in in the Zhari and Panjwai districts to design new Infrastructure and alternative livelihood projects with recommendations from local officials.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Kandahar province remains Afghanistan’s second largest producer of opium, surpassed only by Helmand. The agency says opium poppies were grown on 337 square kilometers of land in Kandahar in 2014, an increase of 19 per cent from 2013.

For more info on Kandahar poppy cultivation please visit the following link:

http://www.pressherald.com/2015/05/05/afghan-poppy-farmers-use-new-seed-variety-to-boost-opium-output/