The Ministry of Finance (MoF) on October 23, 2026, notified the Licensing Conditions for Opium Poppy Cultivation for Crop Year 2026–27.
The following has been stated:
• The Government has notified the general licensing conditions under Rule 8 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Rules, 1985, for opium poppy cultivation for obtaining opium gum through lancing during the crop year October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027. Eligible cultivators generally include those who cultivated opium poppy in 2025–26 and achieved a minimum qualifying morphine yield (MQY-M) of 4.4 kg per hectare, along with specified categories of cultivators, legal heirs, and successful appellants, subject to prescribed conditions.
• Each eligible cultivator will be licensed for 0.10 hectare in a single plot, with excess cultivation of up to 5% of the licensed area eligible for condonation. Applicants shall not have exceeded the permitted cultivation limit beyond the condonable allowance, undertaken illicit cultivation, faced the specified prosecution restrictions, or violated instructions issued by the Central Bureau of Narcotics. For eligibility in 2027–28, cultivators shall achieve an MQY-M of 5.9 kg per hectare during 2026–27.
• The policy also prescribes conditions for fully ploughed-back crops, eligibility for poppy straw cultivation without lancing, opium quality and payment assessment, and possible use of cultivation fields for government research. Eligible cultivators shall apply online through the Central Bureau of Narcotics portal, provide the required land and plot details, and comply with the applicable licensing conditions.
[Notification No. - 01 /2026-Narcotics Control-I]
