Myanmar Becomes World's Largest Opium Producer... "Political Turmoil and Poverty Are the Causes"

Afghanistan's Production Decreases Due to Crackdown on Illegal Drugs

Myanmar has surpassed Afghanistan to become the world's largest opium producer.

According to major foreign media on the 12th, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced in a report released that Myanmar produced approximately 1,080 tons of opium this year, the largest amount in the world. This represents about a 37% increase compared to last year's production of 790 tons.

Opium is made from substances extracted from poppies, which can be further processed into heroin. This year, the area of poppy cultivation in Myanmar was surveyed at 47,100 hectares (ha, 10,000㎡), an 18% increase from last year. The UNODC explained that although Myanmar's poppy cultivation area does not reach the historic high of 58,000 ha recorded in 2013, the expansion of cultivation and improved productivity have significantly increased opium production. The so-called "Golden Triangle," the border area between Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, is known as a global drug production region.

Since the military coup in 2021, opium production in Myanmar has reportedly increased sharply. Due to political and economic instability and poverty, farmers in peripheral regions have chosen poppy cultivation as a means of livelihood. The report forecasts that the recent armed conflicts between ethnic armed groups and the Myanmar military in border areas will accelerate the trend of increasing opium production.

On the other hand, Afghanistan, the previous world's largest opium producer, has seen a significant reduction in production due to a ban on poppy cultivation. The ruling Taliban declared the "eradication of illegal drugs" in April last year and prohibited poppy cultivation. As a result, Afghanistan's poppy cultivation area and opium production have plummeted by 95%.