Lok Sabha Question No. 3641 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-20
Subject: Opium Farming
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Hanuman Beniwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 3641

## TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2021/ AGRAHAYANA 29, 1943 (SAKA)

## 'OPIUM FARMING'

## 3641.   SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL

Will the Minister of Finance be pleased to state :-

- (a) the details of acreage for opium farming in the country and the extent to  which the acreage has been increased or decreased during the last ten year, State-wise;
- (b) Whether the Government proposes to remove morphine rule and give it on  lease  on  an  average  basis  demand  made  by  opium  producing farmers in other States including Rajasthan;
- (c) If  so, the time by which it is likely to be done and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the details of opium production along with the opium product codeine phosphate imported from abroad during the last five years?

## ANSWER:-

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

- (a) The  opium  cultivation  in  the  country  is  carried  out  as  per  United Nations  conventions  on  drug  matters  and  NDPS  Act  1985  for  the purpose of medical use of opium and alkaloids present in it. Earlier opium gum produced by farmers was used for extraction of alkaloids for domestic use as well as for export to various countries. However, now  importing  countries  are  fulfilling  their  medical  requirement through  extracting  of  alkaloids  from  Concentrate  of  Poppy  Straw (CPS) instead of opium  gum.  Therefore, at present opium  is produced in our country for extraction of alkaloids for domestic use only, which has led to less requirement of opium gum. Since opium gum can be produced as per requirement only therefore area under cultivation  varies  every  year.  The  State-wise  details  of  area  (in hectare) for opium farming in the country during the last ten years is at Annexure I.
- (b) & (c) :-  Opium Cultivation as per international convention and NDPS Act 1985 is carried out to obtain alkaloids particularly Morphine, for medical purpose.  Accordingly  criteria  of  issuing  license  for  cultivation  of  opium has been changed to Morphine content present in the Opium tendered by the farmer. The amount of Morphine is scientifically measured through machines and having minimal human interference. It also takes care of both  quality  and  quantity  issue  of  opium  tendered  by  farmer.  On  the contrary,  an  average  basis  criterion  which  was  used  earlier,  measures opium in terms of its weight only as minimum qualifying yield (MQY) for licensing. However,  it requires  more  human  interference  and  was comparatively less scientific. Since the present method is more scientific, has led to improvement in quality of opium tendered and has also led to reduction in number of farmers disqualified for not meeting the criteria of minimum  qualifying  yield,  Government  intends  to  continue  with  the present system.
- (d)   The details are at Annexure II.

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## ANNEXURE  I

|   Sl. No. | Crop year           | Name of State   |   Area Harvested (in hectare) |
|-----------|---------------------|-----------------|-------------------------------|
|         1 | 2012-13             | Madhya Pradesh  |                          3084 |
|         1 | 2012-13             | Rajasthan       |                          2529 |
|         1 | 2012-13             | Uttar Pradesh   |                             6 |
|         1 | 2012-13             | Total           |                          5619 |
|         2 | 2013-14             | Madhya Pradesh  |                          2825 |
|         2 | 2013-14             | Rajasthan       |                          2503 |
|         2 | 2013-14             | Uttar Pradesh   |                             1 |
|         2 | 2013-14             | Total           |                          5329 |
|         3 | 2014-15             | Madhya Pradesh  |                          2576 |
|         3 | 2014-15             | Rajasthan       |                          2846 |
|         3 | 2014-15             | Uttar Pradesh   |                             1 |
|         3 | 2014-15             | Total           |                          5423 |
|         4 | 2015-16             | Madhya Pradesh  |                            76 |
|         4 | 2015-16             | Rajasthan       |                           477 |
|         4 | 2015-16             | Uttar Pradesh   |                             4 |
|         4 | 2015-16             | Total           |                           557 |
|         5 | 2016-17             | Madhya Pradesh  |                          4511 |
|         5 | 2016-17             | Rajasthan       |                          4171 |
|         5 | 2016-17             | Uttar Pradesh   |                            39 |
|         5 | 2016-17             | Total           |                          8712 |
|         6 | 2017-18             | Madhya Pradesh  |                          2600 |
|         6 | 2017-18             | Rajasthan       |                          2088 |
|         6 | 2017-18             | Uttar Pradesh   |                            23 |
|         6 | 2017-18             | Total           |                          4711 |
|         7 | 2018-19             | Madhya Pradesh  |                          3065 |
|         7 | 2018-19             | Rajasthan       |                          2925 |
|         7 | 2018-19             | Uttar Pradesh   |                           118 |
|         7 | 2018-19             | Total           |                          6107 |
|         8 | 2019-20             | Madhya Pradesh  |                          2242 |
|         8 | 2019-20             | Rajasthan       |                          2326 |
|         8 | 2019-20             | Uttar Pradesh   |                           232 |
|         8 | 2019-20             | Total           |                          4799 |
|         9 | 2020-21             | Madhya Pradesh  |                          2495 |
|         9 | 2020-21             | Rajasthan       |                          2730 |
|         9 | 2020-21             | Uttar Pradesh   |                           181 |
|         9 | 2020-21             | Total           |                          5406 |
|        10 | 2021-22 (Estimated) | Madhya Pradesh  |                          2850 |
|        10 | 2021-22 (Estimated) | Rajasthan       |                          3142 |
|        10 | 2021-22 (Estimated) | Uttar Pradesh   |                           201 |
|        10 | 2021-22 (Estimated) | Total           |                          6193 |

## ANNEXURE  II

1. The  details  of  opium  production  during  the  last  five  crop  years  are  as under:-
2. The details of  codeine  phosphate imported from abroad during the last five years are as under:-

| Year    | Quantity of opium produced (at 70 consistence) (in Tons)   |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2016-17 | 560                                                        |
| 2017-18 | 280                                                        |
| 2018-19 | 405                                                        |
| 2019-20 | 287                                                        |
| 2020-21 | 315 (Provisional)                                          |

| Year    | Quantity of Codeine Phosphate imported by Government Opium factories (in Kg.)   |
|---------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2016-17 | NIL                                                                             |
| 2017-18 | 15000                                                                           |
| 2018-19 | 12500                                                                           |
| 2019-20 | 20000                                                                           |
| 2020-21 | 11000                                                                           |

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