The United Nations says Myanmar is now the world's largest known producer of opium. Poppy production there has reached a 10-year high.
The UN says the breakdown of law and order has led to new areas for cultivation and created a desperate workforce.

Naypyidaw

Myanmar has experienced a significant rise in opium poppy cultivation, with production increasing by 17% to an estimated 53,100 tons. This surge has made Myanmar the largest known producer of opium globally, surpassing other countries as Afghanistan's output declines due to government bans.

The escalation in opium farming is attributed to the ongoing civil conflict, which has displaced many farmers and created a vulnerable workforce for the illegal trade. Law enforcement has lost control over large areas, allowing organized criminal groups to thrive and turning Myanmar into a major hotspot for drug trafficking and related crime.

Opium poppy farming hits 10-year high in war-torn Myanmar

Fields of poppy flowers in Myanmar's Kaya state, a bumper harvest for opium farmers this year. But this is not traditionally an area known for opium cultivation. The illegal trade has boomed in recent years, new fields have been planted, production of opium and heroin are at record levels. We see an increase of 17% with about an estimated cultivation of 53,100 tons. So to answer your question, Myanmar is now the largest known producer of opium in the world. Even in Shan state, where opium has been cultivated for decades, an influx of new workers has pushed up production. Farmers displaced by the civil war have provided a cheap and desperate workforce prepared to enter the illegal trade. At a showpiece event in Yangon earlier this year, law enforcement agencies publicly destroyed seizures of heroin, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs. But they've also lost control of large swathes of the country that are now effectively lawless. Myanmar is actually the subject of a number of armed conflicts and there's a protracted crisis in the country which makes it particularly vulnerable to all sorts of trafficking. And organized criminal groups are benefiting from this lack of governance. In Afghanistan, opium production has dropped dramatically. The government's ban on poppy cultivation has reduced levels by more than 90% since a decade ago, although it's forced many farmers into poverty. Opium isn't even Myanmar's largest export. Thailand has seen record seizures of methamphetamine in the past 12 months, millions of pills but just a fraction of the drugs smuggled across the border. And as law and order continues to break down in Myanmar, it's increasingly a hotspot for drugs and crime. Tony Chang, Al Jazeera.

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