News:2025-12-04/Report/farmers-in-ayadaw-township-and-on-the-myinmu-border-turn-to-cannabis-the-irrawaddy-reports

NewsReport4 December 2025

Farmers in Ayadaw Township and on the Myinmu border turn to cannabis, The Irrawaddy reports

The Irrawaddy reported that several villages in Ayadaw Township and on its border with Myinmu, in southern Sagaing Region, had moved from rice, beans, betel nut and cotton to cannabis since 2022-23. Residents estimated that each village grew at least five acres and that six neighbouring villages grew more than 30 acres between them. They said that local defence, administration and law enforcement units helped hand out seed. An Ayadaw Township administration official said resistance groups were involved; in 2023 the administration had warned farmers of legal action and burned fields, but it had not been able to take decisive action because that could cause friction with those groups. A spokesperson for the National Unity Government said that growing unauthorised crops would bring legal consequences.

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https://www.irrawaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cannabis4Dec25feat.jpeg

PlaceMonywa DistrictSagaing RegionMyanmar

Growing regionDry Zone

Growing areaAyadaw

More news from Myanmar

• 10 Mar 2020Myingyan District Court sentences a Myotha Industrial Park farm employee to 20 years over the cannabis plants seized in 2019
• 22 Apr 2019Mandalay police seize about 349,300 cannabis plants on a 20-acre farm at Myotha Industrial Park in Ngazun Township
• 3 Jul 2013KNU orders a third drive against cannabis in Lu Thaw Township after destroying 4,673 plants in 2012

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2025-12-04 Report Farmers in Ayadaw Township and on the Myinmu border turn to cannabis, The Irrawaddy reports The Irrawaddy reported that several villages in Ayadaw Township and on its border with Myinmu, in southern Sagaing Region, had moved from rice, beans, betel nut and cotton to cannabis since 2022-23. Residents estimated that each village grew at least five acres and that six neighbouring villages grew more than 30 acres between them. They said that local defence, administration and law enforcement units helped hand out seed. An Ayadaw Township administration official said resistance groups were involved; in 2023 the administration had warned farmers of legal action and burned fields, but it had not been able to take decisive action because that could cause friction with those groups. A spokesperson for the National Unity Government said that growing unauthorised crops would bring legal consequences. https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/cannabis-takes-root-in-sagaing-as-myanmars-post-coup-drug-boom-expands.html https://www.irrawaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cannabis4Dec25feat.jpeg Myanmar Sagaing Region Monywa District Dry Zone Ayadaw