Myanmar's opium cultivation reaches record high

Opium cultivation in Myanmar has reached a record high in 10 years, and opium plantations are also increasing in opium-growing areas, according to a statement from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC.

Opium cultivation in Myanmar has increased by 17 percent compared with last year, with the area under cultivation increasing from 45,200 hectares to 53,100 hectares, the statement said.

The UNODC said on Dec 3 that while opium cultivation in Afghanistan continues to decline, the new figures reinforce the global recognition of Myanmar as a source of illicit opium.

"The sharp increase in opium cultivation shows that the opium economy, which has been resurgent in recent years, is expanding. It is likely to increase further in the future," said Delphine Schantz, UNODC's Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The UNODC said that while the area under opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar increased significantly between 2024 and 2025, the amount of opium produced per hectare did not increase as much as the rate of opium cultivation.

The UNODC also said the gap between opium cultivation and production is due to the increasing instability in Myanmar.

The statement said conflicts and insecurity have made it difficult for opium growers to maintain their fields and produce large quantities of opium.

Rising prices

Rising opium prices are the main reason for the increase in opium cultivation in Myanmar, with opium prices more than doubling.

The statement said the price of opium in Myanmar has increased from $145 per kilogram in 2019 to $329 per kg currently.

"Driven by the intensifying conflict, the need to survive and the lure of rising prices, farmers are drawn to poppy cultivation,"Schantz said. "Unless viable alternative livelihoods are created, the cycle of poverty and dependence on illicit cultivation will only deepen."

Among the regions in Myanmar where opium cultivation increased the most, eastern Shan State increased by 32 percent, followed by Chin State by 26 percent, while Kachin State experienced the lowest increase, at 3 percent.

Southern Shan State is the most populous region, with opium cultivation in the region increasing by 13 percent, accounting for 44 percent of Myanmar's total opium cultivation.

For the first time, the UNODC study also included opium poppy cultivation in Sagaing Region, with the report stating that there are 552 hectares of opium poppy cultivation in the region.

The UNODC said there are also signs that Myanmar's opium is replacing opium from Afghanistan in international markets.

The European Union Drugs Agency said in a statement that 60 kg of heroin believed to have been produced in and around Myanmar were seized on passenger flights from Thailand to the European Union in 2024 and early 2025.

ELEVEN MEDIA, MYANMAR