MYITGYINA- Kachin State never accepts the poppy plantations and they must destroy all poppy plantations, says Dr Khat Aung, Kachin State Chief Minister.

At present, the opinion plantations in Kachin State are ready to start producing process and the most poppy plantations are situated in Tanai, Kanpaikte and southern Puta-O regions in Kachin State, according to the Documentary Teams about the drugs.

“In 2017-18, there had been little poppy fields in Kachin State in open season and there was no poppy growers due to the anti-drug teams. Now, poppy plantations increase this year because growers used high-yield in poppy species coming from Afghanistan and Shan State,” said a person who took a documentary about the drugs in kanpaikte region in China-Myanmar border, by the end of January.

“We already planned to destroy all poppy plantations before harvesting time. No poppy fields are allowed in Kachin State,” said Dr Khat Aung, Kachin State Chief Minister.

After flash clashes between army and Kachin Independence Army took place in Kachin State in 2011, the poppy cultivations suddenly increased, according to the record.

However, the government had destroyed over 55 acres of poppy plantations in 2016-17 fiscal years.

The urgent proposal to draw short and long term plans about the poppy plantations in China border had been submitted to the Second Kachin State Parliament Meeting on February 29th of 2016. Although the proposal was passed at the parliament, government didn’t implement the plan.

Myanmar is the world’s second-largest opium producer after Afghanistan. Government had laid down the 15-year project on eradication of drugs starting in 1999 but it was failed. So, they added five-years aiming for elimination of poppy plantations.

In Kachin State, 10 townships such as Kanpaikte, Sadone, Tanai, Hpakant, Panwar, Chiphi, Bhamo, Sumprabum and Puta-O are the largest poppy plantations areas.