20/2/2004
The Opium Poppy Blooms Again In Afghan Fields

Afghanistan has reverted to its former status as being the main source of the world's heroin, according to information released by the United Nations this week. Three-quarters of world demand for opium - from which heroin is subsequently derived - was met last year from poppies grown by impoverished Afghan farmers, say the UN.

These farmers produced 3,600 tons of raw opium - the highest amount since 1999 when poppy growing was suppressed by the former Taliban regime. And two out of every three farmers interviewed by the UN researchers admitted plans to increase their opium poppy cultivation in 2004 significantly.

Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which carried out the survey blamed poor social conditions in the country for the spiking drug cultivation. "Persistent poverty, high opium prices and loans from traffickers are the main reasons for the higher opium production expected in 2004," he said.

According to UNODC's report, farmers were clearly aware of the government ban on opium production, but the short-term benefits of the activity continued to outweigh the potential risks of breaking the law.

Overall, a quarter of Afghan farmers engaged in opium poppy cultivation in 2003. Opium plantations covered 27 per cent of the land they cultivated, but produced more than 60 per cent of their annual income, the survey found. Poppy seeds are easy to obtain, either from the previous harvest or the local markets, say the UN.

"The results of this survey that illegal opium production will continue to thrive unless resolute actions are taken: economic assistance for farmers, eradication of opium fields and interdiction of traffickers," Mr. Costa stressed. "The formidable threat which the opium economy poses to peace, stability and socio-economic recovery in Afghanistan will otherwise continue to increase."