The Ministry of Finance (MoF) on September 13, 2023, issued a notification regarding general conditions for grant of license for cultivation of opium poppy for obtaining opium gum through lancing on account of the Central Government during the Opium Crop.
The following has been stated-
•Opium poppy cultivation may be licensed in any tract as may be notified in this behalf by the Central Government.
•Cultivators who had cultivated opium poppy during the crop year 2022-23 and tendered an average yield of Morphine (MQY-M) not less than 4.2 kg per hectare. Note- Average qualifying yield of Morphine in opium tendered in kilograms per hectare will be termed as Minimum Qualifying Yield (MQY-M) in the notification hereinafter.
•Cultivators who plowed back their entire poppy crop cultivated during the crop year 2020-21, 2021- 22 & 2022-23 under the supervision of the Central Bureau of Narcotics in accordance with the provisions in this regard, but had not similarly plowed back their entire poppy crop during 2019-20.
•Cultivators whose appeal against refusal of License has been allowed after the last date of settlement in the crop year 2022-23.
•Cultivators who were eligible for a license for the crop year 2022-23, but did not obtain/issued a license for any reason, or who after having obtained a license, did not actually cultivate opium poppy due to any reason.
•Cultivator who is nominated by deceased eligible cultivator in column No. 11 in Form No. 1 (see rule 7) for the crop year 2022-23.
•One of the legal heirs of deceased eligible cultivators, as determined by the District Opium Officer after following the due process, in the cases where nomination in Form No.1 is not made for any reason or nomination of the person not falling under the definition of family members/blood relatives in Form No. 1, is made.
[Notification No. 02/2023-NARCOTICS CONTROL-I]
