How Myanmar Became The Opium Capital Of The World – Analysis

Hai Luong

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The political, social and economic turmoil from the 2021 Myanmar coup has pushed many to turn to poppy farming as a survival pathway. Farmers in the country’s remote, mountainous areas have resorted to growing the cash crop, which is a raw ingredient for producing heroin.

Under the leadership of the Taliban, Afghanistan strictly prohibited the growing of poppy. This led to a 95 per cent decline in opium farming in Afghanistan after the country’s poppy fields were destroyed, creating a gap in the global poppy supply.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s 2023 Southeast Asia Opium Survey, the land dedicated to opium farming was projected to be 47,100 hectares, an increase from 40,100 in 2022. Myanmar now has the largest volume of opium suppliers worldwide. The average estimated opium yield grew to 22.9 kilograms per hectare, surpassing the previous record of 19.8 kilograms per hectare set in 2022.