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UNODC
Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - Myanmar is once again the world leader among opium producing countries, a consequence of the economic crisis following the military coup of February 1, 2021. This is what the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports in its report on opium production in Southeast Asia, published today, December 12.
The report, entitled "Myanmar Opium Survey 2024", analyzes data collected in Myanmar since the military took power. Although the results show a slight decline (from 47,100 to 45,200 hectares of opium cultivation), cultivation remains at a very high level, consolidating Myanmar's status as the world's leading opium producer. The UN office estimates that Myanmar produced over a thousand tons of opium in 2024, twice as much as Afghanistan. “With conflict dynamics remaining high in the country and the global supply chain adjusting to the ban on opium cultivation in Afghanistan, there is a significant risk of further expansion of Myanmar’s opium production in the coming years,” the UN report states.
The report highlights regional disparities in cultivation in Myanmar. Shan State (largely controlled by rebels and armed groups opposed to the regime) remains the country’s main cultivation area, accounting for 88% of the total cultivation area. Cultivation area has declined slightly in North and South Shan, while East Shan, which borders the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand, has seen a 10% increase. In Kachin State, cultivation declined by 10%, while Chin State, where cultivation is concentrated mainly in the area near the Indian border, saw the largest increase, at 18%. Kayah State, where cultivation is generally lower than in other parts of the country, saw an 8% increase in 2024.
Opium prices were likely a key factor: given the shortages resulting from the decline in production in Afghanistan, prices paid to farmers in Myanmar increased. Another factor to consider is the limited ability of farmers to travel to remote fields, due to the intensifying conflict.
By analyzing in depth the socio-economic factors driving cultivation in Myanmar, the study confirms the close link between opium cultivation and poor socio-economic development conditions. In particular, the villages and households of farmers who grow opium are characterized by difficult economic conditions, lack of public services, high levels of debt and great war-related instability. “Opium farmers in Myanmar are not getting rich, they are simply trying to make a living and meet the basic needs of their families in difficult circumstances,” said Yatta Dakowah, UNODC Country Representative for Myanmar. “To transform the economic prospects of these communities, opportunities for long-term income generation must be promoted by discouraging them from growing poppies.”
This confirms the “strong link” between opium production (which is destined for the heroin market in Western countries) and the escalation of the conflict. On the one hand, the armed militias fighting the regime use opium production as a “financial engine” to subsidize everything from weapons to medicines. But other paramilitary units working with Myanmar’s regular army also support drug production, and analysts say some parts of the armed forces are also directly involved in the trade.
The country’s conflict and instability have stunted major economic sectors (such as traditional agriculture and trade) and increased the insecure conditions in which drug traffickers can operate. It is therefore not surprising that opium production and trafficking, and even local heroin production, have steadily increased in the three years since the coup. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 12/12/2024)
