Geneva: Myanmar has claimed the title of the world’s largest opium producer, surpassing Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s poppy cultivation ban, states the latest United Nations report. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveals that Myanmar’s opium production reached an estimated 1,080 metric tonnes in 2023, marking the highest output since 2001.
The Taliban’s strict ban on poppy cultivation, introduced last April in Afghanistan, slashed opium production in the country by 95%. The UN warns that if the ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan continues, it may result in global shortages of opiates, including heroin, potentially prompting increased production in Southeast Asia, where Myanmar is now at the forefront.
The Golden Triangle, located at the intersection of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, has historically been a major narcotics hub characterized by lawlessness and governance by local militias and warlords. In 2023, Myanmar’s opium trade expanded for the third consecutive year, experiencing a 36% increase compared to 2022 production.
The UNODC report indicates that the entire opiate economy in Myanmar is now valued between $1 billion and $2.5 billion, constituting 2% to 4% of the national GDP. Myanmar has a long history of being a significant player in the global drug trade, with the recent surge in opium production attributed to the country’s dire economic conditions and instability following the military coup in 2021, which ended a brief experiment with democracy.
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