KABUL: The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Mawlavi Sadr Azam Osmani, during his trip to China, delivering a speech at the International Conference on “Poverty Reduction and Agricultural Growth” stated that opium cultivation has reached zero now in Afghanistan.
According to a statement from the ministry on Saturday, the deputy minister emphasized support for water-scarce countries affected by war and other instabilities.
“Alhamdulillah, Afghanistan is one of the countries very conducive to growth and development. If the world wants to reduce poverty, it better to start with Afghanistan, as it is now a safe place for everyone, with agriculture, mining, industry, and trade all on the rise,” the statement quoted him as saying.
According to the statement, Osmani went on as saying, that during the past 20 years, Afghanistan had been the largest producer of opium, but with the Islamic Emirate takeover, the farmers have turned to lawful cultivation.
Also, during his trip to China prior to attending the conference, Mawlavi Osmani visited farms producing mushrooms.