Cotton cultivation increases in Helmand after poppy ban

More areas of land have been cultivated with cotton in southern Helmand province after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) imposed a ban on poppy cultivation.

Last year, a total of 13,174 hectares of land were cultivated with cotton, but this year it has increased to 15,730 hectares, according to local officials.

Pests and drought, however, have affected cotton harvest this year.

“This year, 15,370 hectares of agricultural land were cultivated with cotton, which is higher than last year; but this this year’s harvest is lower due to pests and drought,” said Mohammad Nasim Muslim, promotion manager of the provincial directorate of agriculture, irrigation and livestock.

Local residents also said that cotton price and demand are good this year, but pests and drought have affected cotton harvest.

“This year, there is no poppy that is why more cotton has been cultivated. Cotton has good price and market, but farmers may not cover their expenses because harvest is low this year,” said Mohammad Hussain, a local resident.

There are 35 cotton processing factories in Helmand.

“If these factories process the entire cotton harvest of this year, we could supply three provinces with oil, eight provinces with cottonseed meal and 10 provinces with soaps,” said Ghulam Yahya Pakhtun, head of Helmand Chamber of Commerce.