Myanmar’s opium poppy cultivation hits highest level in a decade: UN
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Myanmar is the world’s main known source of illicit opium amid declining production in Afghanistan.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Opium poppy cultivation in war-torn Myanmar has surged to its highest level in a decade, rising 17 per cent in the past year as conflict and economic hardship push more farmers into the illicit trade, the United Nations said on Dec 3.
Poppy cultivation climbed to 53,100ha in 2025 from 45,200ha in 2024, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report, underlining Myanmar’s position as the world’s main known source of illicit opium amid declining production in Afghanistan.
“Myanmar stands at a critical moment,” UNODC representative for South-east Asia and the Pacific Delphine Schantz said in a statement.
“The major expansion in cultivation shows how far the opium economy has reestablished itself in recent years and indicates the potential for further growth in the future,” she added.
Myanmar has been in political turmoil since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, ousting a civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and sparking a nationwide armed resistance.
The ruling junta is now preparing for a widely criticised general election beginning on Dec 28
A spokesman for the Myanmar junta did not respond to calls seeking comment.
Following several years of decline, UNODC said its latest findings confirmed a steady increase in opium cultivation since 2020, driven by the price of opium, which has doubled over the same period.
The sharpest increases in cultivation were recorded in eastern Shan state, up 32 per cent, and Chin state, up 26 per cent, while southern Shan state remained the core growing area, accounting for 44 per cent of national cultivation. All three areas are currently seeing conflict between the military and armed groups.
The survey also identified 552ha of poppy cultivation in the northern part of the Sagaing Region, near the border with India. It marks the first time poppy cultivation has been found there, signalling a wider geographic spread.
“Together with the expansion in Chin state, this places increased focus on Myanmar’s western border areas, and potential implications for neighbouring countries,” UNODC said. REUTERS
