Colombia coca production hits new record high, US figures say
ONDCP Deputy Director Jim Carroll said in a press release that the Colombian government “must do more” to address the increase
InSight Crime
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
US estimates of coca production in Colombia show the Andean nation has set a new record for the amount of the drug-producing crop under cultivation, confirming a trend that has been transforming regional drug trade dynamics. The estimates, released by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), show that Colombia produced 209,000 hectares of coca crops in 2017, a figure 11 percent higher than the record-setting 2016 estimate of 188,000 hectares. The White House says cocaine production also increased from 772 metric tons in 2016 to 921 metric tons in 2017, representing a 19 percent rise. (See also: Colombia to resume aerial spraying to destroy coca crop)
tags:
