The region in Southwest Asia stretching from Iran through Afghanistan south into Pakistan known as the Golden Crescent, however, produced about 820 tons. The Pushtuns (Pathans) along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan have grown poppies and produced great quantities of opium gum for centuries.
Do poppies grow in Asia?
The opium poppy has been cultivated in China and mainland Southeast Asia for more than two centuries.
Where does poppy naturally grow?
They thrive in temperate climates and are probably native to the Mediterranean, but they can be grown in subtropical and tropical regions as well. Papaver somniferum plants are the same ones that make poppy seeds, which are legal and widely available from many seed catalogues.12 Jun 2017
Who grows the most poppies in the world?
Afghanistan
Can you eat Papaver somniferum?
Poppy seeds are the edible nutritious seeds of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Although the seeds themselves do not contain opiates, they are frequently contaminated with morphine residue during harvesting. Processing removes much of this residue, but it's not uncommon for trace amounts to remain.