UNODC predicts stable opium crop in Afghanistan

In a report issued today, UNODC projects stable cultivation of opium poppy in Afghanistan this year (measured in hectares), with a possible decrease in production (number of tons).

There is a good chance that Afghanistan will produce less opium this year, said UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa.

Afghan opium is the raw material for the world’s deadliest drug – heroin – and a major source of revenue for anti-government forces in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.

The UNODC Winter Rapid Assessment is based on farmers’ intentions at the time of planting. While most of the poppies are still under the ground, this assessment of the situation gives a first indication of what Afghanistan’s opium poppy harvest will look like in 2010.

Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has decreased by one third (36 per cent) over the past two years, from a record high of 193,000 ha in 2007 to 123,000 ha in 2009. Stabilization of the crop in 2010 is likely; if eventually confirmed, it would reinforce the progress made in the recent past.