Via the AFP: ‘Golden Triangle’ opium production down 85 percent since 1998
Opium production is on the way to being eradicated in the “Golden Triangle” of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand after falling 85 percent since 1998, the United Nations said.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that I would wager that the difference is being made up by Afghanistan.
You would win that wager.
Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is expected to soar by 59% this year, providing 92% of the world’s supply of opium, the United Nations says.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime predicted a 6,100-tonne harvest of opium, with much of the rise coming in Taleban strongholds in the south.
Which amounts to about $2.7bn a year, a third of Afghanistan’s entire economy!
Regards, Cernig
Comment by Cernig — Monday, October 16, 2024 @ 10:30 pm