NANGARHAR - As in many other parts of the world, roses are symbols of love in Afghanistan. In Afghan literature, poets use roses as metaphors for the beauty of their beloveds. In daily life here, roses are given to dear ones as expressions of love, respect and humility. They embellish wedding venues and beautify the vehicles that carry brides and grooms. Roses are used not only for decorative purposes in houses and offices, but also to show affection for political leaders and to express reverence at the shrines of saints.

Against the backdrop of a strong demand for roses in Afghanistan, the Orzala perfume-manufacturing company has encouraged farmers in the eastern province of Nangarhar to give up poppy cultivation and plant roses.

Mohammad Omar, a farmer in the Achin district of Nangarhar, originally grew poppies, but eight years ago began cultivating roses. He says he is happy with the income. In fact, he says, his income increased significantly after switching from poppies to roses.

“I used to collect three kilograms of opium from 2,500 square metres of poppy fields, resulting in 50,000 Afghanis,” he says. “Now, I collect about 2,400 kilograms of roses from the same land, resulting in 120,000 Afghanis.”

The perfume factory purchases roses from nearby farmers at a significantly higher rate than farmers can earn from cultivating poppies. “We buy roses from hundreds of farmers throughout the province,” says the owner of the factory, Abdullah Arsala.

Once purchased from the farmers, the factory extracts rose oil for producing Orzala perfume. The signature blend of essential oils and other natural ingredients are first prepared in Jalalabad, then shipped to France for final production. The perfume is an Afghan-French venture named after a feminine first name “Orzala,” which means sunshine in Pashto and gold in French.

The head of the Agricultural Extension section of the Achin district of Nangarhar, Muhammad Tawfeeq Naseri, says poppy cultivation has drastically decreased in certain Nangarhar districts as a result of farmers turning to roses. “Rose plantation is an easier job and more cost-effective than poppy cultivation,” he says.

The Orzala perfume factory provides jobs to more than 250 men and women in the area. Mr. Arsala says that the trend of farmers transitioning to roses not only has helped many boys and girls attend school, but also has had a direct impact on the crime rate.

While such business initiatives are affecting the overall poppy production in Afghanistan, reports from the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) indicate that the country is still the largest producer and cultivator of opium in the world.

Last year, in addition to this year, opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan reached record highs. UNODC’s Opium Survey in 2014 indicated that farmers grew poppies on some 224,000 hectares of land, outstripping the earlier record in 2013 of 209,000 hectares, and representing a seven per cent increase over the previous year.

Nangarhar, once a poppy-free province in 2008, is one of the largest poppy-growing province in Afghanistan.

As some farmers are benefitting financially from the transition to roses, the Afghan government’s Good Performers Initiative (GPI) programme is designed to benefit entire provinces. GPI was launched in 2007 with funding provided by the United States. Provinces that show progress in their poppy-eradication efforts are rewarded with US$1 million each year for development projects.