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

Opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar has hit a 10-year peak, with the crop area increasing in all growing regions in the war-scarred country, the United Nations says.

In its latest Myanmar opium survey, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that poppy cultivation increased by 17 percent compared with the previous year, a jump from 45,200 hectares (about 111,700 acres) to 53,100 hectares (about 131,200 acres) of land growing the illicit crop.