Afghans Would Rather Farm Than Fight Says Agriculture Secretary Vilsack

Highlighting a U.S. focus on farming jobs to lure Afghans from the battlefield and curtail the opium trade, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated that Afghans would rather farm than fight. The statement comes after a visit to Afghanistan last month where he met with farmers to discuss ways to help revive agriculture in the country. Vilsack said a major goal was to show farmers that high-value crops like grapes and pomegranates could be more profitable than growing opium poppies, which fuel the Taliban’s insurgency. (Reuters) Read more or view video of USDA experts in Afghanistan.