In Pictures: Poppy Eradication and Farmers' Way Out

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Helmand has been Afghanistan's leading poppy cultivating province for decades. In April, the Taliban launched a campaign to eradicate poppy cultivation in the country. According to a staff member from the local agricultural department, the top three substitution crops in the province are cotton, wheat and corn. CGTN's Huang Yue talked to some farmers and local agricultural officials in the province.

Young farmer Fazal Rahman told CGTN that he had witnessed every farmer here growing opium since he was a teenager. But now he grows cotton instead. /CGTN

Cotton is one of the alternative crops for local farmers in Helmand Province since the Taliban put a ban on poppy cultivation throughout the country. /CGTN

Cotton flower in the field. /CGTN

Transporting cotton. /CGTN

Loading cotton. /CGTN

After decades of poppy cultivation, local farmers started to grow cotton, even though they will have less income by growing this "white gold." /CGTN

Local farmer Fida Mohammad told CGTN that apart from cotton, he and others also grow wheat for food. Three months ago, Fida harvested 12 tons of wheat but only got to keep two tons. The rest belongs to the owner of the land. /CGTN

Talking about the income loss after substituting for cotton, Fida Mohammad admitted that he and others are facing problems. He believes a farmer like him cannot solve the issues by himself. /CGTN