Fewer poppy fields were destroyed in the North this year possibly due to heavier rainfall damaging crops, the 3rd Army said yesterday.
Lt Gen Wichak Siribansob, commander of the 3rd Army, said its narcotics suppression and prevention centre has located and destroyed 2,349 illegal opium growing plots covering 1,842.34 rai of land so far this year.
The figures were presented at an annual meeting in Phitsanulok yesterday.
These areas were considerably lower than those found and destroyed during the same period last year, he said. No details were provided for previous years.
The opium expected to be harvested from crops in October and November are believed to have been damaged by the prolonged rains, said Lt Gen Wichak.
The 2,349 illegal opium growing plots destroyed were found in 65 raids in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Nan and Phrae provinces, he said.
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board said earlier there were 2,226 known opium plots, he said.