According to the Myanmar Opium Survey 2025, poppy cultivation expanded by 17 percent over the past year, rising from 45,200 hectares in 2024 to 53,100 hectares in 2025. This reverses a short decline and confirms a sustained upward trend since 2020.
Opium, derived from poppies, is the primary natural ingredient in heroin production. Globally, the main sources of illicit opium are Afghanistan, Colombia, and Myanmar.
“Myanmar is at a critical juncture,” said Delphine Schantz, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
“This significant increase in cultivation reflects how deeply the opium economy has re-emerged in recent years—and suggests further expansion may occur.”
The largest increases were observed in East Shan State, where cultivation grew by 32 percent, and Chin State, up 26 percent—regions heavily impacted by armed conflict, limited state presence, and poor access to public services.
South Shan remains the country’s primary opium-producing zone, accounting for 44 percent of total cultivation. Its mountainous terrain, porous borders, and established trafficking networks have long supported the trade.
For the first time, significant poppy farming has been documented in Sagaing Region—considered the epicenter of conflict since the 2021 military takeover—with 552 hectares under cultivation. This signals a geographic shift toward unstable western border areas.
Myanmar has become the world’s leading source of illegal opium following the collapse of Afghan production. After the Taliban banned cultivation in 2023, opium farming there dropped by approximately 95 percent.
Total opium output in Myanmar is estimated at around 1,010 metric tons in 2025—more than double Afghanistan’s current level.
Yields have declined sharply in North Shan and Kachin due to intensified fighting, which has displaced tens of thousands. Reports indicate farmers are replanting without crop rotation and struggling to access fertilizers, reducing productivity.
Despite lower yields, rising prices continue to make opium an attractive option for survival. The average national farmgate price for dry opium reached $365 per kilogram in 2025—over twice the 2019 level.
UNODC estimates farmers earned between $300 million and $487 million from opium sales last year, a crucial income stream amid the country’s collapsing formal economy.
“Driven by escalating conflict, survival needs, and higher prices, farmers are turning to poppy cultivation,” Schantz noted. “Without viable alternative livelihoods, the cycle of poverty and dependence on illegal crops will deepen.”
There are also signs that heroin originating in Myanmar is reaching markets previously supplied by Afghanistan. European authorities reported multiple seizures in 2024 and early 2025 of heroin believed to have originated in or near Myanmar, intercepted from airline passengers traveling from Thailand to Europe.
Beyond opiates, Myanmar remains a major producer of synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and ketamine, contributing to what UNODC describes as a “highly challenging illicit drug situation” across Southeast Asia and beyond.
— news from UN News
— News Original —
Myanmar: Opium crop hits 10-year high amid conflict and economic collapse
According to the Myanmar Opium Survey 2025, poppy cultivation rose by 17 per cent over the past year, from 45,200 hectares in 2024 to 53,100 hectares in 2025 – reversing a brief dip and confirming a steady upward trend since 2020. n nA ‘critical moment’ n nOpium derived from poppies is the naturally occurring primary active ingredient used in the production of heroin. The three main global sources of illegal opium are Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar. n n“Myanmar stands at a critical moment,” said Delphine Schantz, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. n n“This major expansion in cultivation shows the extent to which the opium economy has re-established itself over the past years – and points to potential further growth in the future.” n nConflict-driven crop n nThe sharpest increases were recorded in East Shan state, where cultivation rose by 32 per cent, and in Chin state, up 26 per cent – both heavily affected by armed conflict, weak State presence and limited access to services. n nSouth Shan, long the heart of Myanmar’s opium economy due to its rugged terrain, porous borders and entrenched trafficking networks, remained the country’s main growing area, accounting for 44 per cent of all poppy fields. n nMain source n nFor the first time, significant cultivation was also documented in Sagaing region – believed to be the “epicentre” of Myanmar’s conflict since the 2021 military takeover – with 552 hectares under poppy and highlighting a growing shift toward the country’s insecure western border areas. n nMyanmar has been the world’s main source of illicit opium since the collapse of production in Afghanistan, where cultivation dropped by about 95 per cent after a Taliban ban in 2023. n nTotal opium output is estimated at around 1,010 metric tons in 2025 – more than double Afghanistan’s current level. n nYields declined most sharply in North Shan and Kachin, where fighting has intensified, displacing tens of thousands of civilians. Field reports indicate that some farmers are replanting old fields without crop rotation and struggling to obtain fertilizers, further reducing productivity. n nA ‘survival crop’ n nDespite falling yields, rising prices continue to make opium an attractive survival crop. n nNational farmgate prices for dry opium averaged about $365 per kilogram in 2025, more than double the level in 2019. n nUNODC estimates that farmers earned between $300 million and $487 million from opium sales last year – a vital income source as Myanmar’s licit economy remains fragile. n n“Driven by the intensifying conflict, the need to survive and the lure of rising prices, farmers are drawn to poppy cultivation,” Ms. Schantz said. “Unless viable alternative livelihoods are created, the cycle of poverty and dependence on illicit cultivation will only deepen.” n nHeroin flows shifting beyond Southeast Asia n nThe survey also points to signs that heroin originating in Myanmar is reaching markets previously supplied by Afghanistan. n nEuropean drug authorities reported several seizures in 2024 and early 2025 of heroin believed to have been produced in and around Myanmar from airline passengers traveling from Thailand to Europe. n nBeyond opiates, Myanmar also remains a major hub for synthetic drugs production, including methamphetamine and ketamine, compounding what UNODC describes as a “highly challenging illicit drug situation” across Southeast Asia and beyond.