COLOMBIA COCA CROP SHRINKING

BOGOTA -- Colombia's crop of coca, the plant used to make cocaine, dwindled
by nearly a fourth in 2001 -- the first full year of a stepped up anti-drug
effort, officials said yesterday.

Coca under cultivation declined to 126,000 hectares, down from last year's
estimate of 166,000 ha, according to statistics provided by the
counternarcotics division of the National Police.

At the same time, police figures also show a sharp decline during the same
period in the amount of heroin poppies eradicated.

National Police chief Ernesto Gilibert called the results positive.

"This is very important because we are showing the international community
Colombia's commitment to fight drug trafficking," Gilibert said.

SPRAYED RECORD AMOUNT

Independent U.S. government estimates of coca in cultivation in Colombia
are due out early next year. Using dozens of helicopters and crop dusters
donated from Washington, police say they sprayed a record amount of coca
this year -- 91,000 hectares compared with just 58,000 last year.

The amount destroyed was less than the amount sprayed because many peasant
farmers replanted crops after they were fumigated by police.

With efforts focusing largely on coca plantations, the spraying of heroin
poppies dropped sharply. Police say they fumigated only 2,300 hectares --
down from 9,250 the year before.

Massive fumigation under the U.S. aid program began in December 2000 in
southern Colombia.

Colombian and U.S. officials see the eradication offensive as a way to stem
the flow of drugs to the United States while depriving the insurgent groups
of funding.