Afghanistan opium production drops
Opium cultivation in the area of Afghanistan where most British troops are based dropped by a third this year, a report has revealed.
But violent Helmand Province continues to account for nearly 60% of the country's total production of the drug, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) survey.
This year there were 69,833 hectares devoted to poppy growing in Helmand, a sharp fall from 103,590 hectares in 2008.
But it was still more than double the 26,500 hectares cultivated in 2005, the year before UK forces were sent to the province.
Some 90% of the world's opium comes from Afghanistan and Helmand supplied 4,085 of the 6,900 tonnes of the drug produced in the country this year, the UNODC said.
The significant fall in poppy cultivation in Helmand was attributed to strong leadership from the province's governor, Gulab Mangal, a more aggressive counter-narcotics strategy and falling opium prices.
The UNODC also praised the introduction of UK-backed "food zones" combining anti-poppy publicity campaigns, stronger law enforcement and the distribution of wheat seed and fertiliser to farmers.
A study by Cranfield University showed that opium growing in Helmand's food zones dropped by 37% but outside them it increased by 8%.
While the area of land given over to poppy cultivation in Afghanistan fell by 22% this year, the total yield only dipped by 10% because farmers are now extracting more opium per plant.
The UNODC warned that it appeared that huge amounts of Afghan opium were being deliberately withheld from the market.