Central Government notifies general conditions for grant of license for cultivation of opium crop in 2015-16

The Central Government has notified the general conditions for grant of license for cultivation of opium between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016.

Under the proposed policy, the average yield of opium cultivators who had cultivated opium poppy during the crop year 2014-15 has been fixed at 56 kg/hectare for cultivators in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and an average yield of opium of not less than 52 kg/hectare in Uttar Pradesh.

The Central Government would consider issue of more licenses to farmers this year with good performance in the past for cultivation of opium poppy in the future, in light of proposed augmentation of capacity of government opium and alkaloid works, adequate demand of opium for domestic and export purposes, provided the concerned farmers have satisfied MQY and other conditions of the licensing policy of the relevant year.

Such licenses offer an objective and transparent policy keeping in mind the interests of all the stakeholders. The policy would endeavor giving priority to traditional cultivators who have been earlier granted licenses for cultivation of opium poppy.