<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/south_asia/4386255.stm>
The BBC Sunday, 27 March, 2005, 14:57 GMT 15:57 UK Fall in Afghan poppy cultivation By Zaffar Abbas BBC News, Islamabad A new survey on drugs in Afghanistan indicates the recent increase in poppy cultivation has been reversed. In most of the country's 34 provinces, farmers are growing alternative crops, the survey by the Afghan government and UN Office on Drugs and Crime says. It is the first time a decrease has been registered since the surge in poppy cultivation that followed the fall of the Taleban. But there is still an upward trend in five provinces, the survey warns. Poppy cultivation was banned by the Taleban regime in its last years, but with the regime's fall, it returned in most areas as the main cash crop, raising fears of increased heroin production for the European market. Stricter controls The new survey's findings are based on a preliminary or rapid assessment survey carried out in more than 200 villages in half of Afghanistan's total number of districts. The survey does not provide exact statistics, but says there are positive trends. It indicates a significant reduction in poppy cultivated area in most of the 34 provinces, including Nangarhar, Helmand and Uruzgan. This is in clear contrast to the findings of last year's annual survey, which suggested that the cultivated area had grown by 64% compared to 2003. UN and Afghan officials say the new trend is largely because of stricter controls and a policy of providing alternative crops to farmers. But they caution that cultivation is still on the rise in five provinces, including the former Taleban stronghold of Kandahar. According to the Afghan minister for narcotics control, Habibullah Qaderi, continuous drought in these areas and the inability of the authorities to provide funds for a suitable alternative crop were responsible for the increase. Officials admit the survey is only a trend indicator and say a clear picture will emerge when the annual drug survey is carried out later this year. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
