GENEVA: Myanmar has emerged as the world’s largest producer of opium in 2023, surpassing Afghanistan, as per a United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report released on Tuesday.
Myanmar’s opium production is estimated at 1,080 metric tonnes, essential for heroin production, a significant increase from the 2022 figures of 790 metric tonnes. The Golden Triangle region, encompassing Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, has long been notorious for illegal drug production and trafficking, with Myanmar’s opiate economy now valued between $1 billion and $2.4 billion.
The surge in opium production is attributed to conflict, instability, and economic challenges in Myanmar since the military coup in 2021. Farmers, facing poor access to markets, state infrastructure issues, and rampant inflation, turned to poppy cultivation. The UNODC report indicates that poppy cultivation in Myanmar is becoming more sophisticated, with increased investment and better practices, including improved irrigation and possible fertilizer use.
Myanmar’s legal economy has been grappling with internal strife, pushing many farmers toward poppy cultivation. The estimated opium production for 2022-23 is reported to be the highest in over two decades. The main cultivating area is in Shan state, where recent fighting and conflict have further complicated the situation. Shan state, accounting for 88% of opium poppy areas nationwide, has seen an increase in opium yield per hectare, reaching 29.4 kilograms in 2023, up from 19.8 kilograms in the 2022 survey.
While Afghanistan, historically the world’s leading opium producer, experienced a 95% drop in production to around 330 tonnes after the Taliban’s ban on poppy cultivation in 2022, Myanmar’s surge raises concerns about the global narcotics trade. The UNODC report suggests that Myanmar’s military, in power since 2021, lacks the commitment to curb the multi-billion-dollar drug trade, posing challenges for international efforts to address the issue.
