COCA CULTIVATION REPORTEDLY DOWN

LIMA -- Peruvian and U.S. antinarcotics officials said the cultivation of
coca leaves used to make cocaine has dropped in Peru.

After reporting a slight increase in overall acreage last year, Peru's
counter drug agency Devida said that 21,140 acres of coca had been
destroyed -- beating a U.S.-approved goal of nearly 20,000 acres this year.

Also this week, the U.S. government said that Peru had slashed the total
amount of coca being grown from 91,500 acres at the end of 2002 to 77,875
acres by June.