The dagga fields of Swaziland Here's a look into the marijuana industry of Swaziland, and failed prohibitionist efforts to stop it. Farmers aren't buying the goverment line.
During a recent visit to the area, local farmers told IRIN that cultivating it was their best resource against grinding poverty.
"My father and his father grew dagga here; my son now knows how. We are far from markets, and the trucks from the marketing board (the National Agricultural Marketing Board) are unreliable. The marketing board tells us to grow tomatoes and such for sale, but our harvests can rot in the sun waiting for them," said a farmer near the provincial capital, Pigg's Peak.
Several other points in the article are extremely interesting:
- The government had an aerial eradication program going, but it stopped due to lack of funds.
- Farmers reportedly give portions of their crops to local AIDS patitents for medicinal use.
- The late King of Swaziland apparently authorized some individuals to grow medical cannabis during his reign.
While the anti-drug forces do seize pot and make arrests, it seems that efforts to overgrow the government are making progress.
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