By Karim Hammam
Afghan farmers are increasingly turning to opium poppy cultivation as a means to sustain their livelihoods amid worsening economic conditions. The shift reflects the limited alternatives available in rural areas where legitimate crops yield insufficient income.
Economic pressures, including poverty and lack of market access for legal agricultural products, have pushed many growers toward the illicit drug trade. Opium production remains a primary source of cash income for numerous households despite government eradication efforts and international pressure.
The situation underscores the complex challenges facing Afghanistan's agricultural sector, where farmers weigh immediate survival against the legal and social risks of narcotics cultivation.
