Afghanistan has Reached a Record on the Production of Opium Poppy

Opiate production in Afghanistan has risen by 90% and reached a record 9,000 tonnes in 2017, according to the UN. Executive Director of the United Nations Drugs and Crime Unit, Yuri Fedotov, announced these figures at a session of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan.

He reminded that a year ago he had already paid attention to the worsened situation in the fight against drug production in the country and stressed the need for an urgent response to this threat.

"A year later, the situation deteriorated sharply, and our report on opiates in Afghanistan shows an unprecedented level of harvesting of (opium) poppy. Production has grown by almost 90% and reached a record 9,000 tons, "Fedotov said.

According to the data, the total area of ​​the planted opium poppy is 328 thousand hectares. "This is an absolute record for Afghanistan's entire history," he said.