LOSING BATTLE

Despite a multi-million campaign against opium growers in Pakistan, production of the 1998 opium crop is expected to be all time high. According to estimates, opium poppies have been planted on about 1,250 hectares, which is four times higher than the last year. The failure of the eradication campaign would mean that opium will never be eliminated from South Asia. Government's efforts to persuade farmers to shift their focus to other crops than opium have failed.