A Bumper Crop For Opium In Afghanistan

BBC: Afghanistan opium production up 43% - UN drugs watchdog

Opium production in Afghanistan has increased by 43% in the past year, United Nations officials have said.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the area used to farm the poppy plant, the source of opium, increased by 10% to 201,000 hectares.

But better farming conditions resulted in a higher yield per hectare, increasing overall production.

Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of the substance, which is the main ingredient in heroin.

Growing opium is a crime in the country, but it is still a major cash crop for impoverished farming communities.

The Taliban also taxes poppy production in areas it controls, which is a major source of income for its military activities.

UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov said the figures were "a worrying reversal in efforts".

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WNU Editor: The UN report is here .... Afghan opium production up 43 per cent: Survey (UNODC).

More News On Afghanistan's Opium Crop

Opium crops spread in Afghanistan as Taliban gains ground, U.N. says -- Reuters
Report Shows Increase in Afghanistan Opium Poppy Cultivation -- AP
Afghanistan's opium production soaring, says UN -- AFP
UN: Opium production skyrockets in Afghanistan -- CNN
Afghan opium production up nearly half, UN says --DW
Afghanistan’s Opium Cultivation Jumps 10 Percent In 2016 -- RFE
Opium production up in Afghanistan, eradication down -- UPI
Afghan opium production increases due to bumper harvests -- IBTimes
Afghan opium production up 43 percent in 1 year as eradication effort fails – UN -- RT
Rising opium production in Afghanistan boosting Taliban insurgency, South Asia expert warns -- ABC News Online