Opium crops in Myanmar expand to 10-year high

Myanmar's opium cultivation reached a 10-year peak with "renewed cultivation risk" along the Thailand border, says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report launched early this month.

The report "Myanmar Opium Survey 2025: Cultivation, Production, and Implications" says opium poppy cultivation continues to expand and has reached a 10-year high in the past four years after the military takeover in Myanmar.

It said the area under cultivation had increased 17% to 53,100 hectares from 45,200ha in 2024, with the highest increase in East Shan and Chin at 32% and 26%, respectively, and the lowest increase in Kachin (3%).

With an increase of 13%, South Shan remained the area with the heaviest cultivation, accounting for 44% of the country's opium fields. The report's analysis showed poppy was cultivated in Sagaing Region for the first time, with 552ha planted. Together with the expansion in Chin State, this places increased focus on Myanmar's western border areas, with potential implications for neighbouring countries.

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