Afghanistan Opium Poppy Production Persists

Afghanistan's farmers continue to raise a substantial crop of opium poppies destined for the global heroin trade. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) reports that approximately 107,400 hectares of poppy were cultivated during Afghanistan's crop season in 2005 -- a decline of 48 percent over the 2004 level. ONDCP attributes the decline in production to several factors, including "voluntary restraint by farmers."

"The news that poppy cultivation has been cut in half is welcome indeed," said John Walters, Director of ONDCP in a press release. "Continued reductions will be needed to reduce Afghanistan's drug trade to a level where it does not pose a threat to that nation's internal stability."

During the height of the U.S. military's battle against the Taliban and assorted terrorists in 2003, Afghanistan's opium poppy growers were able to more than double production. In March 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Congress that, after three years under a pro-U.S. government, Afghanistan remained "on the verge of becoming a narcotics state."

Also See:
Afghanistan On Verge of Becoming a 'Narcotics State'
Afghan Opium Booms During Terror War