62,000 HECTARES SPRAYED BY END OF APRIL

UNCLAS BOGOTA 004264 SIPDIS UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP AND WHA/AND E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL CO SUBJECT: 62,000 HECTARES SPRAYED BY END OF APRIL ¶1. As of April 30, aerial eradication aircraft sprayed 61,959 hectares of Colombian coca and 232 hectares of opium poppy (raw numbers). April 2006 was the best April in the history of the spray program and also one of the best spray months ever. ¶2. NAS Bogota's three fleets of spray aircraft eradicated over 20,000 hectares (20,102) in April, only the third time this has been possible in the history of the program. Weather improved throughout the month of April and allowed spray aircraft to make up ground lost to inclement weather in the earlier months of the year. The seven AT-802 Air Tractors are in Tumaco and sprayed 12,146 hectares in Narino in April. The nine OV-10'S are stationed in San Jose del Guaviare and sprayed 6,752 hectares of coca in Guaviare and Meta in April. The two T-65 Turbo Thrushes sprayed 1,204 hectares of coca in Arauca during April. ¶3. Comment: Overall, although behind last year, one third of the way through the calendar year we are 48 percent of the way towards reaching - and then surpassing - the 130,000 hectare goal. End comment. WOOD