In its Afghan Opium Survey 2009, published today, Wednesday 2 September 2009, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has said that across Afghanistan opium cultivation is down by 22 per cent, opium production is down by ten per cent and prices are at a ten-year low.
The number of poppy-free provinces has increased from 18 to 20, and more drugs are being seized thanks to more robust counter-narcotics operations by Afghan and NATO forces.
UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said:
"At a time of pessimism about the situation in Afghanistan, these results are a welcome piece of good news and demonstrate that progress is possible."
The biggest fall in the country has been in Helmand province where, although opium cultivation is still more than it was in 2004 and 2005, it has declined to a third of what it was a year ago.
In fact the UNODC report says that it is the drastic decrease in Helmand which has contributed to the overall decrease across the country as Helmand province produces more opium than any other Afghan province.
Explaining the fall in cultivation, the UNODC report says:
"The dramatic turnaround in Helmand can be attributed to an effective mix of sticks and carrots: governor leadership; a more aggressive counter-narcotics offensive; terms of trade more favourable to legal crops; and the (related) successful introduction of food zones to promote licit farming.
"The major decrease in Helmand demonstrates that progress is possible, even under the toughest conditions."
The report goes on to say that independent figures from a study done by Cranfield University (UK) showed that opium cultivation in the so-called 'food zone' in Helmand decreased by 37 per cent, and was mainly replaced by cereal crops.
The food zone programme comprised anti-poppy awareness-raising campaigns, the distribution of wheat seed and fertiliser to farmers, and law enforcement activities, including eradication.
It covered the districts of Lashkar Gah, Nad e-Ali, Gereshk, Garmsir, Sangin and Musa Qaleh in Helmand.
The programme was implemented by Helmand's Governor with financial and technical support from the UK and the USA.
British forces, along with their colleagues in the Afghan National Security Forces, also played an important part in delivering the programme by clearing roads of explosives and protecting the convoys bringing the wheat seed to distribution centres across the province. See Related News >>>
The report also says that the last few months have seen a rise in the number of counter-narcotics activities conducted by national authorities and ISAF (International Security Assistance Force), and says:
"Over the period from April 2008 to July 2009, ISAF/NATO, the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) and other Afghan forces together seized considerable volumes of opiates, poppy seeds, cannabis, precursors and labs.
"Combined ISAF/NATO and Afghan forces conducted counter-narcotics operations in seven provinces (namely Badakhshan, Farah, Helmand, Hirat, Kandahar, Nangarhar, and Uruzgan), mainly focusing on Helmand and Nangarhar (especially the district of Achin).
"They destroyed a total of 27 labs, 17 of them in Helmand, corroborating the assumption that a large proportion of the morphine/heroin manufacturing is taking place within Afghanistan.
"Twelve laboratories were seized in Sangin district of Helmand alone, suggesting that this district is crucial for drug traffickers."
The report also said:
"Interviews with key informants revealed that it seems to be a rather common occurrence for drug traders to lose a shipment due to counter-narcotics activities.
"Over half of the informants interviewed had themselves lost a shipment in the last 12 months, and an even higher proportion knew of others who had. Many knew about clandestine laboratories having been destroyed, and often they could recall several instances when laboratories were destroyed by NATO/ISAF and/or ANP [Afghan National Police].
"While some thought that the risk of losing a shipment had remained the same in the past 12 months, a large majority of the informants thought it had indeed increased."
See the whole report at Related Links >>>