Why did opium poppy production decline in Myanmar during the 1990s and early 2000s? Myanmar's military government conducted a program to eliminate opium poppy production. Opium poppy production did not decline during the 1990s and early 2000s. It increased substantially. Opium cartels in Thailand and Laos attempted to eradicate production in Myanmar in order to eliminate competition. Growers moved to Afghanistan, where opium poppy production is supported by the government. Coffee became a more profitable product to grow, and it replaced opium poppy