The world food crisis is not all bad news, the Guardian reports. In Afghanistan, poppy farmers are switching to wheat crops in response to soaring food costs. Less heroin, more food: seems to be a good example of market forces at work.

America and Britain have spent a lot of money and energy trying to move Afghanistan’s agriculture away from poppy-growing–a key source of revenue for the Taliban. It looks like supply-and-demand economics might be doing the job instead. Hoorah.

But wait. I asked someone who really knows about Afghanistan, who agreed that market forces–rather than destroying crops–represent the best way to limit poppy-production. He added, however: “I find it unlikely that Afghan farmers had the foresight to plant wheat instead of poppies last season in anticipation of the food crisis, which has only really hit in the last 6 months.”

Hmm. Is it true, then? The report does, at times, read like a badly adapted Kabul government press release.

The growing season runs from November to June in Afghanistan. If wheat prices stay near their current level, supported by regional subsidies, an Afghan farmer can make up to a third more on wheat than poppy by next year’s harvest, according to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture.

And here’s the kicker…

“Not enough money has been devoted into developing a decent agriculture sector. We need millions, if not billions, more in this country,” said one non-governmental organisation executive, who preferred to remain anonymous.

It is a bit suspicious when a nameless “non-governmental official” appeals for billions to support a government’s agricultural sector.

Could the Guardian have been spun? It wouldn’t be the first time.