PDF-Zoland, a defense force in Chin State, has informed that more than 20 acres of poppy fields planted in Titin Township, Chin State have been destroyed.
In Chin State, one of the poorest states in Myanmar, there are few job opportunities, so the local people are more engaged in poppy cultivation. After Shan State in northern Myanmar, which is the largest producer of poppy, Chin State has become the second largest state.
Chin State is a state close to the border with India, where the local people have focused on upland agriculture since the beginning. After the military coup in Myanmar, due to the intensification of fighting in Chin State, the Indian border trade route was also blocked. Due to the intensification of fighting in Chin, where there are few employment opportunities, the livelihood of the local people has become more difficult.
Chin State’s opium cultivation has become more active after the 2021 military coup, according to local news sources. In the past, there were 80 to 100 lakhs of opium, and this year, it is known that it is more than 100 to 100 lakhs. It is known from local sources that poppy cultivation is the most in Titin Township and Tyongzan Township in Chin State.
PDF-Zoland informed the owners in advance of the poppy plantations in Titin Township, but they did not comply, so they went and destroyed them on October 23rd and 24th, and it is known that the remaining poppy plantations will continue to be destroyed.
