A Serious Shortage Of Product -- Strategy Page
November 16, 2010: In Afghanistan, drug gangs, and the Taliban, are suffering a growing cash shortage. The drug gangs were hurt by a shortage of product. A fungus cut the poppy crop in half this year, causing the price of opium (scrapped from poppies) to more than double. But the cost of hashish (cannabis, or marijuana, resin) more than doubled as well, mainly because so many farmers were persuaded, or forced, to cut the amount of land devoted to growing cannabis. This was done by providing the farmers with legal (but less lucrative) alternatives, as well as better security and economic opportunities (mainly more roads, but also access to electricity and medical care.) These benefits are hard to sustain, given the corruption and willingness of the drug gangs and Taliban to use murder and mayhem to terrorize farmers.
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My Comment: Under normal circumstances this would probably not be a problem. But with the war intensifying throughout Afghanistan .... coupled with Pakistani efforts on their side of the border .... the means (and resources) to be a drug lord/opium farmer has become both difficult and (probably) unprofitable. Throw in a fungus that wipes out half the crop .... for the Taliban, this means less money and resources to continue the war.
The Sun has a recent report that the Taliban are running out of AK-47 bullets .... hmmm I doubt that. While it is probably true that these bullets (and bombs) have probably become more expensive as the war continues .... I am sure that the supporters and financial backers of the Taliban will find a way to get around these limits.
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