BANGKOK: Myanmar became the world's biggest producer of opium in 2023, overtaking Afghanistan after the Taliban government cracked down on the trade, said a United Nations report released on Tuesday. Myanmar produced an estimated 1,080 metric tons of opium — essential for producing heroin — this year, the UN Office for Drugs and Crime's (UNODC) latest report said. Estimated opium production for 2022–23 was at its highest level for more than 20 years, the UNODC said. Afghanistan, the world's biggest producer for some years, has seen cultivation collapse after the Taliban authorities vowed to end illegal drug production. Shan accounted for about 88 percent of the 41,300 ha (102,054 acres) of opium poppy areas nationwide, the UN report said.

Source: Manila Times December 12, 2023 16:21 UTC