BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Jan. 22, 2009 – The people of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province are reaping the benefits of being a poppy-free province. Earlier this month, more than 100 Afghans attended a good performance initiative ceremony to signify the official handover of agriculture machinery and irrigation system projects at the governor’s compound in Bazarak. The Afghan government established the initiative in 2006 to provide development assistance awards to Afghan governors who substantially reduce or eliminate poppy from their provinces. “Our core objective is to implement projects which will improve stability with the intent that more traditional forms of private investment can...