2009 Afghanistan Opium Survey

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released the results of its 2009 Afghan Opium Survey on September 2nd 2009 under the headline “Afghan Opium Market Plummets”. UNODC found that opium cultivation had fallen by 22% since last year, and that prices had reached their lowest point since 2001. However, it should be noted that opium production, as opposed to cultivation, fell by only 10% as a result of increases in yield per hectare. It remains unclear whether Afghanistan is witnessing a sustainable downward trend in production or simply a market adjustment. Read the executive summary.