UN: Afghan Poppy Crop Down By 48% -- Al Jazeera
Disease destroyed thousands of hectares of poppy this year, but cultivation remains unchanged compared to 2009.
Poppy production in Afghanistan plummeted by 48 per cent this year compared to 2009, according to the United Nations - but mostly because a blight destroyed thousands of hectares of the crop.
Afghanistan will produce roughly 4,000 tonnes of poppy in 2010, and the crop will provide a livelihood for nearly 250,000 families. It will be a lucrative one, too: The price of poppy increased markedly, with one hectare of the crop yielding $4,900, up from $3,600 last year.
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More News On Afghanistan's Opium Crop
Afghanistan opium crop blight sends drug prices soaring -- Christian Science Monitor
Crop Disease Cuts Afghan Opium Production -- Voice of America
Blight cuts 2010 Afghan opium crop but earnings up -- Reuters
Afghanistan opium production cut nearly in half by fungus -- L.A. Times
Afghan Opium Production Drops Almost 50% -- RTT News
Afghan opium production 'halved' -- BBC
Opium price jump may tempt back Afghan farmers -- The Guardian
Afghanistan's Opium Production Drops, but Will It Last? -- PBS Newshour
UN: Afghan opium farming stable despite efforts -- AP
False Progess -- Registan.net
My Comment: 250,000 families in southern Afghanistan are dependent on the poppy crop for their livelihood. Any impact on this crop will impact monies for these families, revenues for the Taliban, and more importantly .... limit the destruction that this drug has on addicts around the world who may now be forced to seek medical help.
While on paper this sounds good, this will unfortunately not be the case. I expect that a lesser crop will only result in an increase in prices, thereby tempting more farmers to grow this crop next year.
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