How to Provide Maximum Relief and Benefits to Opium Farmers?

India has significant opium cultivation, particularly in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and a large part of Uttar Pradesh. The Indian government issues licenses and cultivation leases annually for opium farming. Opium is highly valuable and is often referred to as "black gold." There are many intriguing stories associated with it in Rajasthan, where both humans and deities are said to be involved, along with tales of politicians and officials becoming wealthy through this trade.

Opium serves various purposes, including the manufacture of medicines, as well as recreational and narcotic uses. In light of the increasing drug industry worldwide, all countries have enacted strict laws to curb its misuse. The Indian government also formulates an opium policy every year to regulate opium farming and prevent illegal production. However, opium farmers face numerous challenges, including financial losses and other setbacks.

To advocate for the interests of opium farmers, MPs from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh actively work each year to seek relief for these farmers, urging the government to adopt favorable policies. Recently, during a meeting chaired by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, discussions were held regarding suggestions for the opium policy for 2024-25. Notable attendees included Chittorgarh MP C.P. Joshi (Rajasthan), MPs Sudhir Gupta from Mandsaur-Nimach (M.P.), and Dr. Mannalal Rawat (Udaipur, Rajasthan), among others. They presented various suggestions to prioritize farmer relief and restore previously canceled leases, among other proposals.

Led by MP C.P. Joshi, the MPs suggested that opium cultivation licenses be made available online, and farmers' details should also be digitized. Camps should be set up to correct all farmers' data at the department level to resolve inconsistencies promptly. All types of leases that have been canceled due to substandard morphine or other reasons should be reinstated. Furthermore, the systems for measuring opium crops, raw weight, weighing, and factory inspections should be made transparent. Farmers who have produced good yields under the CPS system should be issued licenses under the traditional incision method. Farmers should be granted the right to cultivate in two plots, and if a farmer's land spans two revenue villages, they should also be allowed to farm there. The morphine threshold should be reduced to 4 kilograms per hectare, and girdauri (land inspection) should be completed within 45 days after sowing. The current license holder's data should be updated, so farmers are not repeatedly asked for documents. After the death of an opium farmer, licenses should be issued based on their yield rather than minimum area requirements. Licensed farmers should be allowed to cultivate in other villages due to water shortages or lease land in the same tehsil. Penalty orders related to the restoration of old leases due to poor yields should be received at the department level and not from the farmer. Additionally, any irregularities in opium farming should be met with strict actions.

The MPs expressed gratitude to the central government for increasing the number of opium farming licenses from 20,000 to 107,000 during the Modi government's tenure from 2014 to 2024. The government has also provided significant relief to farmers in its annual opium policies.

It is noteworthy that the central government designates specific areas each year where opium cultivation is permitted. Additionally, it sets general eligibility criteria for licensing. To obtain a license, farmers must meet the minimum qualifying yield (MQY) standard, measured in kilograms per hectare. Farmers who cultivated at least this designated amount the previous year are eligible for licensing. The license also specifies the maximum area allowed for opium cultivation.

If a farmer realizes their yield will fall below the MQY, they must destroy the crop with government permission. Failure to meet the MQY can lead to legal action and license revocation. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), under the Narcotics Commissioner, issues licenses for opium poppy cultivation to farmers. Notable regions for opium cultivation in India include Kota, Baran, Jhalawar, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, and Pratapgarh in Rajasthan, Mandsaur, Ratlam, and Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh, and Barabanki, Bareilly, Lucknow, and Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh.

CNB officials measure each field and ensure there is no excess cultivation. Opium cultivation begins in November and concludes in March each year. Harvesting takes place in February and March. Farmers still use traditional methods for opium farming, manually piercing each opium capsule with a special blade, a process known as lancing. This lancing occurs in the late afternoon or evening. The latex that seeps out overnight is collected the next morning. Each capsule is typically lanced three to four times. All collected opium must be presented at designated collection centers in early April. The quality and weight of the opium are inspected, and farmers receive payment based on government-specified slab rates, which depend on the quality and quantity of the opium. Ninety percent of the payment is made directly to the farmers' bank accounts through e-payment methods, with the final payment made after laboratory testing at the opium factory to confirm no adulteration. All purchased opium is sent to government opium and alkaloid factories in Neemuch and Ghazipur, where it is processed and dried for export. However, the production of drugs like crude cocaine, egonine, and diacetyl morphine (commonly known as heroin) is illegal and strictly prohibited. Thus, the hard work and complex processes faced by opium farmers are no less than a trial by fire.

It remains to be seen how much relief the Indian government will provide to selected opium farmers, taking into account the risks of opium cultivation alongside its importance for medicinal uses.