A delegation of 16 officials from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Counternarcotics is in Tehran to undergo an intensive 10-day training program, said Col. Mahmoud-Reza Pour Mansour, an official of the Iran Drug Control Headquarters. “The training will include using Geographical Information System (GIS) for identifying and eliminating poppy cultivation for opium trade,” IRNA quoted him as saying. The Afghan government in cooperation with international bodies is making efforts to encourage alternate crops for poppy cultivation, which is a major occupation in the impoverished country. During 2015, opium production reduced by 19% in Afghanistan.
