BANGKOK – Myanmar’s opium production has declined for the first time since the military coup in 2021, according to a United Nations report released on Dec 12. Despite the drop, the country continues to hold its position as the world’s largest producer of the narcotic.
In 2024, Myanmar harvested 995 tonnes of opium, a decrease from the 1,080 tonnes produced in 2023, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The reduction marks the second-largest opium harvest in two decades for the country, which remains heavily reliant on the illicit trade as a key source of income.
UNODC research officer Inshik Sim attributed the decline to escalating conflict in traditional poppy-farming areas, particularly in Shan State, which accounts for 80% of Myanmar’s opium production. Intense fighting in the region during 2024 reportedly pushed many farmers to abandon their fields. Additional factors such as restricted access to remote areas and severe monsoon conditions may have further limited cultivation.
The report also pointed to oversupply in the regional heroin market and shifts in global drug supply chains as potential contributors to reduced demand for opium exports, leading to price drops.
Despite the decline, the UNODC warned of a high risk of future expansion in opium production as Myanmar’s economy continues to deteriorate. The World Bank recently projected a 1% contraction for the fiscal year ending March 2025, reflecting the broader economic fallout of the 2021 coup.
Masood Karimipour, the UNODC’s regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, cautioned that improved cultivation methods and adjustments in supply chains could lead to a resurgence in opium farming.
Myanmar’s military junta has acknowledged the challenges of curbing poppy cultivation, with the home affairs minister describing the task as “severe” in June. However, the ongoing political turmoil, economic collapse, and displacement of over three million people since the coup have further complicated enforcement efforts.
The AFP has reached out to the Myanmar junta for comments on the UN’s findings but has not received a response.