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DATE=5/18/99 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-43426 TITLE=PAKISTAN OPIUM BYLINE=SCOTT ANGER DATELINE=ISLAMABAD CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS PAKISTAN'S EFFORTS TO REDUCE OPIUM POPPY CULTIVATION IS THE BIGGEST SUCCESS IN NARCOTICS CONTROL IN A DECADE. SUBSTITUTION CROPS AND OTHER INCENTIVES HAVE BEEN USED TO CONVINCE MOST FARMERS TO STOP GROWING THE ILLEGAL PLANT. BUT SOME SAY THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT DOING ENOUGH, AND PLEDGE TO CONTINUE GROWING OPIUM POPPIES -- JUST AS THEY HAVE DONE FOR MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS. V-O-A ISLAMABAD CORRESPONDENT SCOTT ANGER TRAVELED TO THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE AND HAS THIS REPORT. ///AMBIENT SOUND OF ROAD/// TEXT: THE PAVEMENT ENDS JUST A FEW KILOMETERS UP THE VALLEY WHERE THE ROAD DECLINES INTO TWO WORN TRACKS HUGGING THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE. FARMERS HERE IN DIR DISTRICT, IN PAKISTAN'S RUGGED NORTH-WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE, SAY THEY NEED MORE DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT IF THE GOVERNMENT WANTS THEM TO STOP GROWING OPIUM POPPIES. THEY SAY WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN IS NOT EVEN ENOUGH TO FINISH PAVING THE ROAD LEADING INTO THE VALLEY. ///AMBIENT SOUND OF FIELD/// A FARMER, WHO DOES NOT WANT TO BE NAMED, WALKS THROUGH A WAIST-HIGH WHEAT FIELD TO A HIDDEN PLOT OF YOUNG OPIUM PLANTS, WHICH HE SAYS HE IS GROWING BECAUSE THE PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT HAS NOT FULFILLED ITS PROMISES. ///FARMER ACT IN PASHTO, FADE UNDER ENGLISH TRANSLATION/// THE GOVERNMENT PROMISED SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND ROADS BUT NOTHING IS BEING DONE. HAVE YOU SEEN DEVELOPMENT HERE? THE GOVERNMENT IS ASKING US TO GROW WHEAT, BUT THAT HARDLY FULFILLS THE NEEDS OF MY OWN FAMILY. BUT IF I GROW OPIUM HERE, THAT WILL PRODUCE 3 KILOGRAMS AND EACH KILOGRAM WILL GIVE ME (NEARLY 200 DOLLARS). IT IS OUR MAIN LIVELIHOOD. HOW CAN WE GIVE IT UP IF WE ARE NOT PROVIDED A SUBSTITUTE? ///END ACT/// BUT THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS IT IS PROVIDING THE INCENTIVES NEEDED TO STEM OPIUM PRODUCTION. AS A RESULT, PRODUCTION HAS FALLEN FROM 800 METRIC TONS 20 YEARS AGO TO ABOUT FIVE TONS TODAY. THE WORLD BODY SAYS IT HAS SPENT OVER 34-MILLION DOLLARS ON PROJECTS IN DIR DISTRICT IN THE LAST 15 YEARS -- BUILDING ROADS, DRINKING WATER PROJECTS AND HELPING FARMERS PLANT NEW CROPS. BERNARD FRAHI IS THE U-N'S DRUG CONTROL PROGRAM REPRESENTATIVE IN PAKISTAN. HE SAYS PAKISTAN IS A WORLD SUCCESS STORY AND THE WORK THE UNITED NATIONS HAS DONE IS BENEFITING EVERYONE IN THE DISTRICT -- INCLUDING FARMERS WHO DO NOT GROW ILLEGAL CROPS. ///FRAHI ACT/// THE PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS, EVEN AFTER 15 YEARS, COMPLAIN. HOWEVER, THEY WILL HAVE A NEW ELECTRIFICATION SYSTEM, THEY WILL HAVE A BIG INFRASTRUCTURE PUT IN PLACE THAT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND ITS ENTIRE POPULATION. THE IMPORTANT POINT TO BE CONSIDERED IS THAT DIR IS NOT OCCUPIED ONLY BY OPIUM GROWERS. MOST OF THE POPULATION IS NON-OPIUM GROWERS. ///END ACT/// OPIUM FARMERS SAY THEY WILL STOP GROWING THE ILLEGAL CROP, ONLY IF THE GOVERNMENT FULFILLS ITS PROMISES. THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN IS CONFIDENT IT WILL COMPLETELY ERADICATE POPPY CULTIVATION WITHIN ITS BORDERS BY THE YEAR 2001 -- BY USING CROP SUBSTITUTIONS AND OTHER INCENTIVES. (SIGNED) NEB/SA/PLM 18-May-99 7:03 AM EDT (1103 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .