ArrowArtboardCreated with Sketch.Title ChevronTitle ChevronIcon FacebookIcon LinkedinIcon Mail ContactPath LayerIcon MailPositive ArrowIcon Print
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar opium production nearly doubles to 9-year high: U.N.

Economic and security challenges push farmers to grow illicit crop as prices soar

A man harvests opium in Myanmar's Kayah state in November 2016.   © Reuters

SYDNEY -- Opium production in Myanmar almost doubled last year as farmers in the Golden Triangle region turned to the illicit crop in the wake of the military's power grab, a report from the United Nations has found.

The surge in opium, the raw ingredient of heroin, emphatically reversed a decadelong trend of falling cultivation.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.

Discover the all new Nikkei Asia app

  • Take your reading anywhere with offline reading functions
  • Never miss a story with breaking news alerts
  • Customize your reading experience

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

Celebrate our next chapter
Free access for everyone - Sep. 30

Find out more