Centre to grant more licenses to farmers to grow poppy due to rising demand from pharma industry

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, September 14

Over one lakh farmers are set to receive licences for cultivation of opium poppy in Rajasthan, MP and UP under the annual licensing policy for crop year 2023-24.

With an increase in demand and processing capacity, it is expected that the number of farmers to be given licenses for cultivation of opium poppy will increase to 1.45 lakhin comingthree years.

As per the general conditions enshrined in the policy, nearly 1.12 lakh farmers in these three states are anticipated to be given licenses, with inclusion of 27,000 additional farmers over and above the previous crop year. The number of opium cultivators who would be eligible for getting license are nearly 54,500 from Madhya Pradesh, 47,000 from Rajasthan and 10,500 from Uttar Pradesh. This is almost 2.5 times the average number of farmers given licenses during the five-year period ending 2014-15, stated an official news release.

This increase in the number of farmers is to meet the increasing demand for pharmaceutical preparations for palliative care and other medical purposes, both domestically and internationally. It would further ensure that the alkaloid production meets domestic demand as well as the requirement of the Indian export industry.

The system of licensing for “unlanced” poppy was started in 2020-21 and has been expanded since then. Central Government has augmented the capacity of its own alkaloid factories. It is moving for adoption of Good Management Practices in these factories and has already engaged with the private sector for processing of opium gum as well as poppy straw to augment opium processing capacity in India.

Government intends to further significantly expand the licensing for unlanced poppy further and has decided to set up a processing unit for Concentrate of Poppy Straw of 100 MT capacity on a PPP basis. This will enable India to not only meet its domestic demand but also export alkaloid and alkaloid-based preparations.