Poppy cultivation increases three-fold in Afghanistan

Islamabad, Nov 1 (IRNA) -- Wendy J. Chamberlin, an expert of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, says poppy cultivation has increased three-fold in Afghanistan after the takeover by Taliban militia, in 1996.

"Opium cultivation in the areas that Taliban control was at a steady 20,000 hectares before their takeover. When the Taliban captured Kandahar, poppy cultivation in that area immediately doubled," she was quoted by press reports in Islamabad.

Chamberlin recently attended the international conference on drug control issue in Central Asia, held in Tashkent with mutual collaboration of the UN and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

She said that in 1998-99 poppy cultivation increased to 51,000 hectares while "today in the year 2000 we estimate that it has hugely increased to 64,000 hectares."