What in the World - Why do farmers in Myanmar and Afghanistan grow opium?

Download Why do farmers in Myanmar and Afghanistan grow opium?

Myanmar is now the world's largest producer of opium, overtaking Afghanistan. That’s after the Taliban banned the cultivation of opium poppies, which can be used to make heroin.

Growing opium is illegal in both counties, but that isn’t stopping all farmers from growing the crop.

Yogita Limaye, the BBC’s South Asia and Afghanistan correspondent, explains how the ban has impacted farmers who previously depended on opium to survive. And Soe Win Than, editor of the BBC Burmese Service, tells us how corruption and political instability in Myanmar have contributed to the growth in opium production.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: William Lee Adams, Baldeep Chahal, Benita Barden
Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Published on Wednesday, 20th December 2023.

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