UN finds decline in Afghanistan opium cultivation

Cultivation of opium poppies declined in Afghanistan last year for the first time since 2001, a success that saw one in every five farmers abandon the drug-producing plant for legal crops, a UN report said today.

The decision by some 50,000 farmers to abandon the highly lucrative poppy was undercut by the fact that the 2005 crop was one of the best in years. As a result, total production decreased by just 2.5%, with Afghanistan still accounting for 87% of the world’s supply, the UN office for Drugs and Crime said.

Still, even that shift suggested that Afghanistan’s drug-eradication programme, begun in 2004, was having some effect on poppy production, and legal sectors of the economy are expanding, the report said.

“It may seem that in a country where reality is so stark, opportunities for the poor so limited, and consequences so dire, that there is not a great deal we can do to stop people from engaging in such a lucrative, albeit illegal, activity,” it said.

“That, however, is not what this year’s survey results reveal.”

According to the report, 256,880 acres were set aside for poppy cultivation in 2005, down from 323,500 acres last year. But because of good weather and low disease, the average opium yield rose by 22%, meaning that 4,100 metric tons of opium were produced. That was down from 4,200 metric tons.

In addition, the report found that 309,000 households were involved in opium cultivation, down from 356,000 in 2004.

UN anti-drug chief Antonio Maria Costa said the prospects for 2006 were not good because of several worrisome indicators. They include reports of drug traffickers distributing poppy seeds for free; and farmers complaining that they haven’t gotten enough help from the foreign community.

Also, he said, many farmers had stopped cultivating opium this year because of fears of the government’s eradication campaign, but may go back if they see the programme hasn’t worked.

“As a consequence, there is a risk that opium cultivation may not decline in 2006,” Costa said.

The report also highlighted just how tempting opium cultivation can be for farmers in Afghanistan. A farmer earns £3,100 (€4,500) in gross income per 2.47 acres of opium poppies. For those cultivating the same amount of wheat, that income is £319 (€465).

In another worrying conclusion, cultivation of marijuana plants was found to be enormous – about 74,100 acres, the report said.

That would make it second in the world behind Morocco, Costa said.