Myanmar: Displaced by conflict, farmers grow opium poppies to survive

Last year, Myanmar became the world's biggest producer of opium, harvesting 1,080 tons. While opium poppies have long flourished in rural Myanmar, production soared following the 2021 military coup and subsequent conflict between the ruling junta and armed resistance groups, devastating the economy and internally displacing an estimated 3.5 million people. Now, farmers, including many of those who have been displaced, say they have little alternative but to grow the crop to survive.

Feb 28, 2025 - 19:00
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Myanmar: Displaced by conflict, farmers grow opium poppies to survive
Last year, Myanmar became the world's biggest producer of opium, harvesting 1,080 tons. While opium poppies have long flourished in rural Myanmar, production soared following the 2021 military coup and subsequent conflict between the ruling junta and armed resistance groups, devastating the economy and internally displacing an estimated 3.5 million people. Now, farmers, including many of those who have been displaced, say they have little alternative but to grow the crop to survive.
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