Now Reading: Centre sets 800 kg per hectare opium poppy yield benchmark for 2026-27
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Centre sets 800 kg per hectare opium poppy yield benchmark for 2026-27
The Story in Brief
The Union Finance Ministry has issued a notification laying out eligibility rules for licences to grow opium poppy for poppy straw production in the 2026-27 crop year (1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027). The policy covers cultivation without juice extraction through lancing.
Cultivators who grew poppy in 2025-26 and delivered at least 800 kg of un-lanced poppy straw per hectare at the designated weighing centre will generally qualify for a licence, provided they have not been barred. Those who delivered less than 800 kg per hectare in 2025-26 will be suspended for 2026-27 but may regain eligibility subject to that year's policy.
Cultivators suspended in 2025-26 for falling below the 800 kg benchmark in 2024-25 may apply for a 2026-27 licence. The policy also covers those who produced an average morphine yield of 3 kg to 4.4 kg per hectare from opium gum production in 2025-26, and certain categories of plough-back cultivators. Cultivation is permitted only in areas notified by the Central Government.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The 800 kg per hectare minimum yield benchmark continues from the previous year, meaning cultivators who fell short in 2025-26 face automatic suspension for the current season. The notification creates a one-year suspension, not a permanent bar, and opens a path back for those suspended earlier. Several categories are carved out, morphine yield producers, plough-back cultivators and those who missed a licence in 2025-26, broadening the base of eligible growers. The policy leaves unresolved how the benchmark will be adjusted in future years or whether new entrants outside these categories can apply.
Source: studycafe.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
