MYANMAR(National times)- Opium poppy cultivation in war-torn Myanmar has surged to its highest level in a decade, rising 17% in the past year as conflict and economic hardship push more farmers into the illicit trade, the United Nations said on Wednesday. Poppy cultivation climbed to 53,100 hectares (205.02 square miles) this year from 45,200 hectares in 2024, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report, underlining Myanmar’s position as the world’s main known source of illicit opium amid declining production in Afghanistan. “Myanmar stands at a critical moment,” Delphine Schantz, UNODC representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement. “The major expansion in cultivation shows how far the opium economy has reestablished itself in recent years and indicates the potential for further growth in the future.” Myanmar has been in political turmoil since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, ousting a civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and sparking a nationwide armed resistance. The ruling junta is now preparing for a widely criticised general election beginning on December 28, amid a raging civil war. A spokesman for the Myanmar junta did not respond to calls seeking comment. Following several years of decline, UNODC said its latest findings confirmed a steady increase in opium cultivation since 2020, driven by the price of opium, which has doubled over the same period. The sharpest increases in cultivation were recorded in eastern Shan State, up 32%, and Chin State, up 26%, while southern Shan State remained the core growing area, accounting for 44% of national cultivation. All three areas are currently seeing conflict between the military and armed groups. The survey also identified 552 hectares of poppy cultivation in the northern part of the Sagaing Region, near the border with India. It marks the first time poppy cultivation has been found there, signalling a wider geographic spread. “Together with the expansion in Chin State, this places increased focus on Myanmar’s western border areas, and potential implications for neighbouring countries,” UNODC said.