LANDI KOTAL, May 9: Opium prices have registered a sharp decline with the beginning of the harvest season in Afghanistan and the tribal territories in Pakistan.
The price-reduction phenomenon seems strange as the yield from the fresh crop is far less then that of last year’s and opium is in great demand in Ghaznikhel.
Jalalabad and in Kandahar prices will increase in future. Buying and selling of opium is in full swing in Ghaznikhel, while in Jalalabad secret deals are made and opium is stored in in secret godowns outside the city.
Nagi Shah, a resident of Esaar Shahi village in Nangrahar province told Dawn that this year they were expecting a bumper crop and better prices, but their standing crops were first hit by strong winds and hailstorm.
He said that harvesting was in full swing and some poppy growers had even sold standing crop for fear of a crackdown by the Afghan government.
Poppy crops were also sold to traders in parts of the tribal area of Bajaur agency where one kanal of standing crop was sold for Rs80,000. Prices of the newly-harvested opium vary from Rs15,000 to Rs18,000 per kg in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistani tribal areas. Whereas, the same is sold for Rs20,000 in Kandahar. Prices of the old and dried opium have also decreased from Rs45,000 to Rs30,000 per kg.
Opium traders are buying fresh crop in great quantities with the hope that prices would increase in the coming days as they are expecting tough measures by the Afghan government against growers.
“It’s a gamble. No body knows what will happen next,” said Mohammad Aslam, a former opium dealer in Landi Kotal.
He said that there were fewer buyers in tribal areas and the contraband was no more in demand for conversion to heroin powder as all heroin producing factories in the tribal areas have closed down. Many opium traders like Mohammad Aslam have now switched over to new businesses.
Opium prices shot up from Rs18,00 per kg to Rs35,000 in the last days of the Taliban when they imposed a strict ban on its cultivation and transportation across Afghanistan. Some opium dealers became millionaires overnight.
Ali Akbar, a resident of Landi Kotal is still cursing his luck when last year he refused to buy fresh poppy crop in Renai Parchao area for Rs2,500 per kg; within a month its price shot up to Rs30,000.
Majority of the growers are hoping that like Pakistan poppy cultivation will also be banned in Afghanistan and then prices will rise.