UNODC Report : Poppy cultivation in Myanmar has increased by 33 per cent in 2022

Poppy cultivation in Myanmar has increased by 33 per cent in 2022 over the previous year. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, (UNODC) 2022 Report has revealed this. The area under opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar in 2022 is estimated at 40,100 hectares, which is about 10,000 hectares more than in 2021, according to the Report.

The 2022 Report also states that opium poppy cultivation practices in Myanmar have become more sophisticated from poorly organised, low cultivation density to “high density poppy cultivation hotspots”.

The highest increase was observed in Shan State. With 84 per cent of the total opium poppy cultivation area in Myanmar, Shan state records the highest cultivation area. With a combined cultivation area estimated at 34,600 hectare; North, South and East Shan showed an increase of 39 per cent.

Cultivation in Kachin recorded a moderate increase of 3 per cent. Estimates for Chin and Kayah States, where the overall area remained small in comparison to other states, showed increases of 14 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.

Within Shan State, the sub-regions of South, North and East Shan accounted for 42 per cent, 21per cent, and 23 per cent of total cultivation in 2022, respectively. Kachin State accounted for 11 per cent with 4,400 hectare cultivation area. Chin and Kayah States together accounted for 3 per cent of the total cultivation with1,100 hectare.

“Additionally, field research observed very well organized and high yielding opium poppy plots that had not been identified before. This was most evident in East Shan where substantial and significant increases in both opium poppy capsule number and volume were observed (the average number of observed capsules per plot increased by 44 per cent and their average volume more than doubled)”, the Report states.

In Myanmar, high density opium poppy cultivation is practiced in these areas with specific topographical conditions, challenging socio economic circumstances and a precarious security situation. It is cultivated largely near international border areas too.

“High-density cultivation areas were detected in the south-eastern mountains bordering the Wa region. Very high cultivation levels were observed in the north-western part of Kachin State and the areas east of Myitkyina city, next to the international boundary with China. Chin State showed high poppy cultivation density in the mountains north of Tonzang town, near to the international border with India. In Kayah State, poppy cultivation is mainly dispersed,” it adds.

Myanmar opiate economy ranges between 660 million US dollars to 2.0 billion US dollars, representing 1 to 3 per cent of the 2021 GDP, the UNODC Report highlights. It says that the increase was recorded against the backdrop of significant social, economic, security and governance disruptions in the course of 2021. The increased estimate was likely due to increased size of fields and the detection of opium poppy hotspots.

The Report also states that contrary to overwhelming increase in opium poppy cultivation areas, efforts for eradication of opium plantations dropped drastically. Only 1,403 hectares were reported as eradicated in 2022, which is 70 per cent less than in 2021, it adds.

The organised farming practice has resulted in increase of per hectare opium poppy cultivation too. The average opium yield per hectare during 2022 was 19.8 kilogram, which is an increase of 41 per cent, slightly lower than the other countries where poppy is cultivated. According to the Report the per kilogram farm-gate price for both fresh and dry opium has been increased to 62 per cent and 69 per cent respectively.

With high production, poppy farmers too, earned more than twice as much from opium that is between 160-350 million US dollars during 2022. This was between 56-199 million US dollars during 2021. There is, however, little chance that such increase will help farmers to some extent, with alarming increase in cost in agriculture, fuel and transport. According to the UNODC Report, price for rice, the stapple food has increased by 55 per cent, between November 2021 and November 2022. Similarly, price for fertilizers and herbicides or pesticides have increased by 75 per cent and 45 per cent reportedly.

The harvested opium is either consumed raw or further processed into heroin. Both raw opium and heroin reach the end-consumer markets in Myanmar and are exported outside Myanmar – or are seized by law enforcement. After deducting the seizures of opiates in Myanmar reported by law enforcement agencies concerned, it is estimated that 287 tonnes of raw opium and between 28 to 95 tonnes of heroin reached the illicit markets in the country and outside.

“Out of these 287 tonnes of opium, 22 tonnes were destined for domestic consumption, with a value of US dollar 13 million; the remaining 265 tonnes of opium were exported with an export value of US dollar 160 million”, according to the Report.

UNODC has identified poverty, lack of services, insecurity of the country as key indicators for such an overwhelmingly increase poppy cultivation.

“The sharp economic contractions that left a critically weak economy in the aftermath of Covid-19 crisis, and military takeover in early 2021 may have been among the determining factors that pushed rural households to rely more on opium, resulting in expanded and more intense poppy cultivation and reversing downward trends since 2014”, the UNODC Report states.

Ratna Bharali Talukdar

Data source : https://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Myanmar/Myanmar_Opium_Survey_2022.pdf