It's true they are not making the big bucks, that comes from refinement and distribution. But they are making enough to give them incentive to grow it. It's a subsitence level profit, but a profit non the less.
Of course, my comment was directed more towards those saying we need to take the profit out of it. It is hard to take the profit out of something when there is almost no alternative and little profit to begin with.
The Wa farmers in Burma are forbidden to refine opium in any way. If they did, they would get a lot more for it on the markets in Yunnan. Obviously, this rule is there for a reason. To keep the profits in the hands of others. Our battle is not with the growers but unfortunately, the US government can't see this and still views them as the problem.