On March 24, Russia and NATO discussed efforts...
President Barack Obama has announced a "new course" on opium, which targets smugglers and processors rather than farmers. Under this policy, Afghan farmers receive compensation for switching to different crops.This policy is yielding results. The area of opium plantations fell 22% last year, though it still exceeds 2006 levels. According to the most optimistic estimates, the production of unprocessed opium has declined by 10%. British experts point out that recently Afghan farmers have been figuring out ways to extract more of the milky juice from poppies. Each hectare of poppies now yields 56 kg of opium (a 15% increase from a year ago).
Since coalition forces invaded Afghanistan almost nine years ago, they have made little progress in eradicating opium plantations, which supply the bulk of the world"s heroin. It"s not a case of "one step forward, two steps back". Some results have been achieved, after all. It"s more like one step forward, one step back, and two
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