2003 Opium Output Hits a Record High

Opium output hit a record high in Afghanistan in 2003, with another increase expected this year in the war-torn country that does not have any other real exports, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime has found.

The U.N. said the output of 3,600 tons was up 6% over 2002 and could be worth $2.3 billion. That compares with Afghanistan’s official exports of $40 million to Pakistan. The U.N. said surveys of farmers show a further increase is likely this year.

“If we don’t start translating counter-narcotics commitment into lower levels of production, we run the risk of opium economy undermining all that has been achieved in creating a democratic new Afghanistan,” said Antonio Maria Costa, head of the U.N. office.