Opium Cultivation Licenses for Farmers Issued Under Set Conditions
12-Sep-2025 05:30 PM
New Delhi. The Revenue Department of the Union Finance Ministry has set eligibility conditions for farmers-producers for issuing licenses for the cultivation of opium poppy for the production of straw in the 2025-26 crop year (October-September).
Cultivation of opium without a license is considered illegal and farmers are allowed to cultivate it only in a certain area. Cultivation in an area larger than this is considered a legal offense.
According to the notification issued by the Revenue Department, poppy cultivation can be done only in the land identified or notified by the Central Government.
It is mandatory for farmers to deposit the goods at the government procurement center on the basis of an average yield rate of 800 kg per hectare.
If farmers have been banned from cultivating opium due to non-compliance of this condition, then the license can be issued again on the basis of the fixed period for the 2025-26 season. Some other rules and conditions have been determined for issuing licenses to farmers for opium cultivation.
All eligible farmers will be given licenses for cultivation in 0.05 hectares and they will be able to cultivate it on only one plot. This plot can have more than one revenue khasra number. But the size of some plots should not exceed 0.05 hectares.
Opium producers are usually given licenses for a period of five years. In this way, the license given to farmers for the 2025-26 season will remain effective till the 2029-30 season, provided it is not suspended midway for any reason.
These reasons include farmers getting involved in illegal activities, being given Indian letter under the NDPS Act, violating departmental guidelines, etc. Farmers can also return the license on their own will.
The Revenue Department notification cautions that if the government takes the necessary decision, the amount of morphine given in the opium husk during 2025-26 can be considered as the basis for payment. Farmers who have not been cultivating opium for the last three years will no longer be eligible for a license.