First opium poppy harvest since Taliban return

(2 Apr 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nad Ali district - 1 April 2022
1. Wide of workers collecting opium from poppy pods
HEADLINE TEXT: First opium poppy harvest since Taliban return
2. Various of workers collecting fresh opium from poppy pods
ANNOTATION: Afghan farmers collected their first opium harvest of the season in southern Helmand province despite Taliban pledges to crackdown on its cultivation.
ANNOTATION: In the Nad Ali district of Helmand, once a frontline between NATO forces and the Taliban, farmers collect the fresh opium coming out of poppy pods.
++PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE++
4. Close up of worker collecting fresh opium from poppy pods
5. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Muhibullah, no last name given, poppy farmer, ++PARTIALLY COVERED++
"Opium poppy is cultivated more in Helmand compared to other provinces, therefore workers from Pakistan and all other provinces from Afghanistan come here to work and earn some money for their families. Our people are badly affected by poverty, the economic situation in Afghanistan is getting worse day by day."
++PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE++
6. Various of workers collecting fresh opium extracted from poppies in pots
7. Close of fresh opium in pot
ANNOTATION: Each year workers from all around country gather in Helmand for the harvest season.
ANNOTATION: Each worker is paid 500 Afghanis (6 US dollars) per day during the 15-day harvest season.
8. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Sahaar Gul, poppy farmer:
"The money goes into pocket of others (smugglers), we just get a quarter of the money made from cultivating poppies, and whatever money we make we use it to pay back for the money we borrow before the start of cultivation season."
++PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE++
9. Various of poppy farmer Sur Gul weighing and packaging fresh opium collected from poppy pods
10. Close of fresh opium in plastic bag
11. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Sur Gul, poppy farmer: ++PARTIALLY COVERED++
"The previous government used to destroy our poppy fields and never gave anything in return to farmers. This government hasn't told us anything yet, but I just want to ask those people who tell us to stop cultivating opium poppies, do they have any alternative for us?"
12. Various of Gul packaging fresh opium
ANNOTATION: Poppy growers are part of an important rural constituency for the Taliban, and most rely on the harvest to get by.
13. Close of opium in pot
ANNOTATION: The production of opium contributes up to 11% of Afghanistan's economy.
STORYLINE:
Afghan farmers collected their first opium harvest of the season in the southern province of Helmand, despite Taliban pledges last year that they would crackdown on its cultivation.
In the Nad Ali district of Helmand, once a frontline between NATO forces led by the US Army and the Taliban, farmers collect the fresh opium coming out of poppy pods.
Each year workers from all around country gather in Helmand for the harvest season.
They first make small cuts on the poppy pods in the afternoon and collect the opium the next morning.
Each worker is paid 500 Afghanis (6 US dollars) per day during the 15-day harvest season.
A kilo of opium is sold for 6,000 to 10,000 afghanis (68 to 114 US dollars) depending on the quality.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said last year that Afghanistan continued to be the world's largest producer of opium, with the production of the narcotic contributing up to 11% of the country's economy.
Poppy growers are part of an important rural constituency for the Taliban, and most rely on the harvest to get by.
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