HL Deb 02 February 2004 vol 656 c71WA
Lord Acton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

According to the United Nations poppy crop survey in Afghanistan, what was the level of opium poppy production in that country for each year from 2000–03. [HL880]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

According to the United Nations annual poppy crop survey in Afghanistan, the level of opium cultivation and production in Afghanistan each year from 2000–03 is as follows:

Year Hectares Tonnes
2000 82,000 3,300
2001 8,000 185
2002 74,000 3,400
2003 80,000 3,600

The low level of cultivation and low production figure in 2001 reflect the Taliban ban on opium cultivation; the ban did not however address the underlying causes of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and was enforced with a mix of threat and bribery.