Afghanistan surpassed by Myanmar as world’s largest producer of opium

Myanmar now makes more opium than any other country in the world, surpassing Afghanistan, according to a report from the United Nations.

This year, it’s expected that the amount of opium made will increase by 36% to 1,080 tonnes, which is much more than the 330 tonnes that Afghanistan is said to have made.

Poppy growing in Afghanistan decreased by 95% after the Taliban rulers banned the drug last year.

At the same time, farming has grown in Myanmar because a violent civil war has made it a profitable way to make money.

Jeremy Douglas, who works for the United Nations and wrote the report, says that the problems with the economy, safety, and government since the military took over in February 2021 are making farmers in faraway places turn to growing opium to survive.

For many years, opium has been grown in Myanmar. It is used to make the dangerous drug heroin. The money made from selling opium has been used to support rebel groups who are fighting against the government.

However, in the last year, while the civil war caused by the 2021 coup continued, farming has grown by about 18%. The report also says that farming has become more advanced and productive because of the use of well-organized fields, irrigation systems, and sometimes fertilizers.

More and more people are starting to grow the crop because prices are going up. The pandemic and Myanmar’s bad economy has made growing opium more appealing as a job. A new report from the World Bank says the country is not expected to grow much.

Shan State is a place in Myanmar where there has been a lot of fighting between some armed groups and the military. It is also the biggest producer of opium in Myanmar. The fighting in Shan has gotten worse and has even affected big mafia families who got rich from gambling, scams, and drugs. However, the rebel groups still depend on selling opium to get money for their activities.

Mr Douglas said that the fighting in Shan and other border areas will probably cause more opium to be made.

The report also said that more opium is being grown in the northern Shan State, as well as in Chin and Kachin states, where rebel groups are fighting the army.

Opium farming has been an important way for people in Shan to make money, even though their land is not very good for growing crops. Many people who lost their jobs in other parts of Myanmar have been coming back to Shan. They have found work growing opium there.

Making and selling heroin is the most money-making business in the opium industry. The report says that this year, Myanmar has exported around 154 tonnes of heroin, which is worth about $2. 2 billion

The place where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet is called the Golden Triangle. People there have been making a lot of opium and heroin for a long time. Most of the heroin sold around the world comes from Myanmar and Afghanistan.