UN: Coca cultivation rises in Peru after years of decline

LIMA, Peru – Coca cultivation has risen in Peru after several years of decline.

A United Nations report released Tuesday found land devoted to coca cultivation in the Andean nation rose nearly 10 per cent in 2016.

The increase is in line with the growth seen in neighbouring countries where coca is grown, including Colombia and Bolivia. A U.N. drug office report released earlier this year determined coca crops in Colombia increased by more than 50 per cent in 2016.

Peru is the world’s second largest coca producer after Colombia.

The agency estimates 43,900 hectares of coca were cultivated in Peru, far lower than the 62,500 detected in 2011 but still higher than the previous year.

The report notes that the average price of cocaine made from the plant rose 14 per cent in 2016.