A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) showed that opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar surged in 2022 reaching the highest-ever estimates since they started measuring it nine years ago. This comes a year after the country’s military seized power marking a reversal of the steady decline in the production of the illicit crop between 2014 and 2020, the report noted.&nbsp;

The UN estimates that cultivation of the illicit crop is up by at least 33 per cent this year while the evidence also points towards increasing sophistication in the practices, the report noted, as the newly sampled areas for the survey showed more cultivation in high-density poppy cultivation hotspots. According to the UN report,&nbsp;opium production in 2022 has been the highest since 2013 when it peaked at 870 metric tonnes.&nbsp;

Last year, the area of opium poppy cultivation was nearly 40,100 hectares which is at least 10,000 hectares more than in 2021, which was also the year that the military seized power in Myanmar, found the UN survey. The report also noted that the amount of poppy cultivated in 2022 can yield at least 790 metric tonnes of the highly addictive narcotic, opium.&nbsp;

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This growth has also been attributed to economic hardship, political instability and&nbsp;insecurity. “Econverged, and farmers in remote, often conflict-prone areas in northern Shan and border states have had little option but to move back to opium,” said UNODC Regional Representative Jeremy Douglas.&nbsp;

The region that the UN representative refers to is where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet which is also a jungle territory known as the Golden Triangle. The region has historically been known for being a lucrative hub for the illegal drug trade and a source of opium and heroin production. Furthermore, the UN report also noted that there has been a 70 per cent year-on-year decline in “eradication efforts”.&nbsp;

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Myanmar's opiate economy is valued somewhere between $660 million to $2 billion, which amounts to&nbsp;one to three per cent of the country’s GDP in 2021, said the UN. Myanmar is also the world's second-largest producer of opium, after Afghanistan. Furthermore, the report also noted domestic and international pressures like the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, political instability and soaring inflation have provided a “strong incentive for farmers in Myanmar to take up or expand opium poppy cultivation”.&nbsp;

“At the end of the day, opium cultivation is really about economics, and it cannot be resolved by destroying crops which only escalates vulnerabilities…Without alternatives and economic stability, it is likely that opium cultivation and production will continue to expand,” said Douglas, in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
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A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) showed that opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar surged in 2022 reaching the highest-ever estimates since they started measuring it nine years ago.

A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) showed that opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar surged in 2022 reaching the highest-ever estimates since they started measuring it nine years ago. This comes a year after the country’s military seized power marking a reversal of the steady decline in the production of the illicit crop between 2014 and 2020, the report noted. The UN estimates that cultivation of the illicit crop is up by at least 33 per cent this year while the evidence also points towards increasing sophistication in the practices, the report noted, as the newly sampled areas for the survey showed more cultivation in high-density poppy cultivation hotspots. According to the UN report, opium production in 2022 has been the highest since 2013 when it peaked at 870 metric tonnes. Last year, the area of opium poppy cultivation was nearly 40,100 hectares which is at least 10,000 hectares more than in 2021, which was also the year that the military seized power in Myanmar, found the UN survey. The report also noted that the amount of poppy cultivated in 2022 can yield at least 790 metric tonnes of the highly addictive narcotic, opium. ALSO READ | People in Myanmar forced to rely on charity due to rising costs and scarcity This growth has also been attributed to economic hardship, political instability and insecurity. “Econverged, and farmers in remote, often conflict-prone areas in northern Shan and border states have had little option but to move back to opium,” said UNODC Regional Representative Jeremy Douglas. The region that the UN representative refers to is where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet which is also a jungle territory known as the Golden Triangle. The region has historically been known for being a lucrative hub for the illegal drug trade and a source of opium and heroin production. Furthermore, the UN report also noted that there has been a 70 per cent year-on-year decline in “eradication efforts”. ALSO READ | Amid the Junta coup, Myanmar's crumbling economy runs low on cash Myanmar's opiate economy is valued somewhere between $660 million to $2 billion, which amounts to one to three per cent of the country’s GDP in 2021, said the UN. Myanmar is also the world's second-largest producer of opium, after Afghanistan. Furthermore, the report also noted domestic and international pressures like the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, political instability and soaring inflation have provided a “strong incentive for farmers in Myanmar to take up or expand opium poppy cultivation”. “At the end of the day, opium cultivation is really about economics, and it cannot be resolved by destroying crops which only escalates vulnerabilities…Without alternatives and economic stability, it is likely that opium cultivation and production will continue to expand,” said Douglas, in a statement. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UN survey shows opium production in Myanmar surged to a nine-year high in 2022

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