Papaver Somniferum L

In 1852, the British arrived in Lower Burma and started to import large quantities of opium from India. It was then sold through a government-controlled opium monopoly, regulated by “The Opium Act”, 1878). Around 1874, “poppy” cultivation (Papaver somniferum L plants) and opium production increased along the highlands of Southeast Asia. The cultivation of “poppy” in Myanmar’s Borderlands continues until today. On different occasions, I was able to visit some fields in the mountainous areas - and was amazed how beautiful the flowers are when in bloom.