H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, today welcomed the 21% decrease of poppy cultivation shown in the 2005 Annual Opium Poppy Survey for Afghanistan carried out jointly by United Nations Office for Drugs & Crime and the Ministry of Counter Narcotics.

The survey shows that the areas under opium cultivation in Afghanistan decreased from about 131,000 hectares (ha) in 2004 to 104,000 ha in 2005.  The 21% decrease was recorded this year in line with the Rapid Assessment Survey implemented in January-February of 2005. 

The main reasons for the decline were that villagers refrained from poppy cultivation due to respect for the government’s ban on opium poppy cultivation as well as fear of eradication by the Government.

In his reaction to the report the President said: “I’m extremely pleased to note that the people of Afghanistan have responded positively to the call for Jihad against the evil of narcotics. This indicates that the Afghan people are taking steps towards ridding their country from this menace. I would like to pay particular praise to the people of the Province of Nangarhar which saw decrease of 96% in cultivation.”

“I expect that the international community will continue to fulfill its responsibility by providing assistance towards Alternative Livelihoods so that poor farmers will not suffer economic hardship, and Afghanistan will become a drug free country.”