Myanmar battles to replace poppy cultivation with cash crops

The Star

3 days ago

FILE PHOTO: This photo taken on February 26, 2024 shows displaced residents working in the illegal poppy fields for their livelihood during the fighting between Myanmar' military and Karenni Nationalities Defence Force at Moe Bye in Pekon Township, on the border of Karen State and southern Shan State. - AFP
PHNOM PENH: The ongoing armed conflict is hindering Myanmar's efforts to eliminate poppy cultivation and combat drug trafficking, posing a threat to national security.
The prevailing political instability, due to conflict between the military and armed militias, and rising economic hardships, are pushing farmers in remote mountainous regions to cultivate poppies.
"Growing poppy and heroin production were a major issue for Myanmar in the past," said Home Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, as reported in the state media, The Global New Light of Myanmar.
Currently, the country has been facing challenges of synthetic drug production, trafficking and trading similar to other countries across the world.
"On the other hand, the number of sown acres of poppies rises again in the areas controlled by ethnic armed groups,' said Tun Tun Naung.
Myanmar is working to introduce alternative crops, such as coffee and tea, along with livestock projects, to replace poppy cultivation among farmers.
During the 2024-25 poppy cultivation season, security forces destroyed nearly 1,900 hectares (4,734.5 acres) of poppy plantations.
In conjunction with the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday (June 26), Myanmar authorities destroyed 66 kinds of drugs and precursor chemicals, including heroin, opium, methamphetamine, cannabis and ketamine worth RM1.3 billion (US$297 million) in Yangon, Mandalay, Taunggyi and Sagaing, said the state media.
In a lengthy article published in the state media on Thursday, the occasion of the global anti-drug campaign, Tun Tun Naung revealed the monumental task his government faces in eradicating the social scourge.
The complex nexus of production and distribution of narcotics, supported by cross-border networks, makes it difficult to contain the illicit flow of drugs.
"Although precursor chemicals and related accessories used in drug production cannot be produced in Myanmar, they can enter Myanmar easily and illegally through the border regions.
"As the majority of produced drugs are trafficked to regional countries and highly demanded countries through border regions, Myanmar is facing challenges in conducting prevention and suppression against drug trafficking,' said Tun Tun Naung.
On the same day, an advertorial in the state media highlighted the seriousness of the proliferation of narcotics and their impact on Myanmar's society.
"Myanmar is grappling with serious challenges related to poppy cultivation, synthetic drug production and widespread drug abuse. But local authorities and law enforcement bodies are carrying out the eradication of narcotic drugs through collaborative efforts as much as possible,' said the editorial.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2023 opium survey in Myanmar revealed the grave problem of the opium economy, fuelled by conflict and rural poverty.
According to UNODC, on average, farmers could easily earn RM1,184 (US$280) per kilogramme of opium in 2022, even as supply was abundant.
"The attractiveness of opium as a crop and commodity, and strong expanding demand, as the Golden Triangle opium and heroin trade appears to be reconnecting to the global market. Farmers earned more than twice as much from opium as in the previous year (2022),' said the agency's report. - Bernama