Poppies cultivation

Around 92 per cent of the world s heroin comes from poppies grown in Afghanistan. Despite a massive increase in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in 2006, the global area under poppy was actually 10 per cent lower than in 2000. This decline was mainly due to sustained success in reducing cultivation in South-East Asia. Poppy cultivation in the Golden Triangle has fallen by some 80 per cent since 2000. 

At least in the short-term, conditions in the world s heroin markets will be determined by what happens in southern Afghanistan, as the country was responsible for 92 per cent of global opium production in 2006. For no other drug is production so concentrated in a single area. This concentration went hand in hand with a remarkable long-term progress in eliminating other sources of supply, principally in South-East Asia. Poppy cultivation in South-East Asia is down by more than 85 per cent over the last decade. Between 2005 and 2006 alone, poppy cultivation in South East Asia declined from 35,000 hectares to 24,000 hectares. 

The significance of the contraction in opium cultivation in Myanmar and Laos cannot be overstated. Although opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan increased massively in 2006, the global area under illicit poppy cultivation was still 10 per cent lower in 2006 than in 2000, due to reduction in South-East Asia. But despite the reduction in the area under cultivation, potential heroin production is up, because Afghan fields are more productive than fields in South-East Asia. In 2006, global opium production soared to a new record high of 6,610 mt, a 43 per cent increase over 2005. 

Worldwide, the estimated area under illicit opium poppy increased by 33 per cent in 2006, mainly due to a sharp increase in Afghanistan. Opium poppy cultivation in South-East Asia continued to decline for the sixth consecutive year, but could not offset the increase in Afghanistan. Since 1998, global opium poppy cultivation has decreased by 15 per cent to 201,000 ha in 2006. 

The area under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan increased by 59 per cent from 104,000 ha in 2005 to... 

Cultivation in South-East Asia continues to decline. Since 1998, South-East Asia s share of world opium poppy cultivation has fallen from 67 per cent to only 12 per cent in 2006. Much of this has been due to large declines in cultivation in Myanmar, where cultivation declined a further 34 per cent to 21,500 ha in 2006. There are several important elements to this decline. Remarkably, no opium cultivation was observed in the Wa region in 2006, which had accounted for 30 per cent of national opium poppy cultivation in the previous year. Also, contrary to the national trend, a large increase in cultivation was observed in the South Shan State, which increased its share of national cultivation... 

In the Americas, opium poppy continues to be cultivated for use in the illicit markets in North America, although at a much lower level compared to South-West and South-East Asia. Estimates by the Government of Colombia put the area under opium poppy cultivation at about 1,000 ha. The situation as regards opium poppy cultivation in Peru is difficult to quantify as the UNODC supported national illicit crop monitoring system has not yet established a reliable methodology for the detection of opium poppy. The Governments of Colombia, Mexico and Peru all continue to eradicate opium poppy cultivation. 

Low levels of opium poppy cultivation continue to exist in many regions and countries such as the Caucasian region, Guatemala, Russian Federation, Thailand, India, Ukraine and Viet Nam. 

Fig. 16 Annual opium poppy cultivation and opium production in main producing countries, 1990-2006...

REST OF THE WORLD - OPIUM POPPY CULTIVATION (hectares), 1990-2006... 

The area under cannabis cultivation is estimated to have amounted to 530,000 ha in 2005, which was again far more than the area under poppy cultivation (151,500 ha) or the area under coca cultivation (159,600 ha in 2006).3... 

The area under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan increased by 59 per cent from 104,000 hectares in 2005 to 165,000 hectares in 2006. This is the largest area under opium poppy cultivation ever found in Afghanistan. As a result of this upsurge, the share of... 

Afghanistan in global opium poppy cultivation increased from 65 per cent in 2005 to 82 per cent in 2006. Most of the opium poppy cultivation took place in the southern region of Afghanistan, which accounted for 62 per cent of the total cultivation. Only six out of... 

Afghanistan s 34 provinces were free of opium poppy cultivation in 2006. In the 12 years since the start of the UNODC opium surveys in 1994, opium cultivation increased in eight years, and decreased in only four. 

In 2006, a total of 15,300 hectares of opium poppy fields were eradicated by Afghan authorities. This is roughly 8 per cent of the area under opium poppy cultivation, up from 5 per cent in 2005. Overall, two thirds of cultivated opium poppy in each village was left standing after the eradication teams had carried out their activities. 

Afghanistan, regional distribution of opium poppy cultivation (ha), 2005 to 2006... 

An estimated 448,000 households, or 2.9 million persons, were involved in opium poppy cultivation in 2006. This is equivalent to 12.6 per cent of Afghanistan s total population of 23 million. 

Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, 2003 (at district level)... 

In 2006, prices for opium latex and heroin continued to increase slightly for the second consecutive year. The price increases are thought to reflect the reduction in opium poppy cultivation in Colombia. 

In early 2006, Lao PDR declared that it was virtually opium poppy-free. Opium poppy cultivation has declined by over 90 per cent since 1998, when cultivation culminated at 26,800 hectares. 

In 2006, the area under opium poppy cultivation in Lao PDR was estimated at 2,500 hectares. This is an increase of 39 per cent compared to 2005 (1,800 hectares). How-... 

The information in this section comes from the report on Opium Poppy Cultivation in the Golden Triangle (UNODC/Governments of Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand, October 2006), and can also be found on the internet (http //www.unodc.org/unodc/en/crop monitoring.html). 

The potential production of dry opium for the year 2006 was 20 metric tons, which is an increase of about 40 per cent compared to 2005. As in 2005, weather conditions were favourable for opium poppy cultivation, and the opium yield was estimated at 8 kg/ha. 

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