Potential Risk of Opium Poppy Farming in Tajikistan.

Abstract

The sap oozing from shallow incisions made on the seed pods of opium poppy forms base-matter for several legal and illegal drugs. In contrast to the legitimate, its illegitimate products are priced very high in the international narcotics market. Lured to potentially high economic returns, many poor farmers living in the remote areas of some counties fall in a wider trap of drug trafficking and get involved in the illicit cultivation of opium poppy. Besides, an association of such activities with some other criminal and terroristic events has been found in many countries. India produces the largest quantity of opium within the given legal framework whereas Afghanistan is the biggest supplier of illegally produced opium. Tajikistan adjoins Afghanistan and there are many similarities in the environmental and socio-economic conditions of the two countries. Based on these observations, this study assesses the potential risk of illegal farming of opium poppy in Tajikistan. The results show that some areas in the country have agro-climatic conditions suitable for cultivation of opium poppy. Most of such areas are situated in the remote valleys in central parts of Tajikistan. The study concludes that special efforts should be made to improve the socio-economic condition of the people living in such areas so that they don’t look at illegal opium poppy cropping as lucrative source of fast cash earning.