UN: Cannabis production up in Afghanistan

Despite the fact that the total area of Afghan farmland used for cannabis cultivation fell by 17 percent in 2012, there was still an increase in overall production of cannabis compared to 2011, said a UN report. The report released by the United Nations drug and crime agency and the country's Ministry of Counter-Narcotics noted that the main reason for the increase in production despite the decline in cultivation was better yields compared to the previous year. The survey covering 16 of 34 provinces of Afghanistan where commercial cannabis cultivation had been reported in past surveys estimated that that most of the cannabis cultivation concentrated in the southern provinces of Afghanistan. The southern provinces produce almost 54 percent compared to east and north of the country, it was noted. The report further added that in 2012, the national average of cannabis yield was 136 kilograms per hectare, a rise of 21 percent from 2011 when yield was 112 kilograms per hectare. It further states that another reason for the reduction in cultivation was a strictly enforced ban by provincial authorities, which was imposed because cannabis fields seemed to have been used by insurgent groups as hiding places. It was also noted that by growing the illegal crop, farmers could achieve a gross income of USD 6,400 per hectare from cannabis resin, exceeding the gross income from opium of USD 4,600 per hectare. The report was jointly prepared by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Ministry of Counter-Narcotics.