NEPALGUNJ: Although illegal, farmers of 16-mid-west districts have been cultivating opium of late.

Opium is a very dangerous and expensive drug used to produce brown sugar. It is also used by various pharmaceuticals to manufacture medicine.

The farmers are said have been attracted to its cultivation as they can earn more money with less labour and time.

Farmers in Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Pyuthan among other districts of the region, were found planting the banned plant illegally.

The contraband is sold in the markets of Banke, Bardiya and Dang, among other border districts.

DIG Keshav Adhikari, Chief at mid-west Regional Police Office, said the cultivation of opium was growing in the region. “Earlier, nobody cared when a handful of people planted it. However, the number of farmers cultivating opium has been rising. We destroyed the cultivation in various places this year,” said DIG Adhikari.

Rukum has the highest record of opium farming. “It is cultivated in maize and wheat fields in rural parts of the district,” said sources.

According to police, the investigation bureau of the mid-west had destroyed the plants cultivated in more than 90 bigaha land. Bureau Chief DSP Ashok Singh said opium was being cultivated in a large area of the hilly parts of the districts.

“We had never expected rural folks to cultivate it in such a large land area. Poppy farming must be brought under control before it spreads like wildfire,” he said. According to DSP Singh, research has revealed that Indian traders invest in cultivation of the illegal plants. ‘They invest from the seeds to the process of importing,” said Singh.

Opium can be harvested in around six months and is sold for Rs 62,000 per kg. The locals are said to have opted for poppy cultivation as a result of rampant unemployment in these areas.

Syalapakha, Chhiwang, Simli, Rukumkot, Chunwang, Kol, Ghetma, Syalakhadi, Gotamkot and Bhalakcha, among other rural areas of Rukum, have been cultivating the illegal plant.

Police had destroyed poppy farms at Marmaparidanda, Chandekarenji, Badukot, Mulkhola and Badagaun, among other places of Salyan. However, security personnel are yet to arrest those involved.

“Nobody says anything about the farms or land owners. Hence, we could not arrest a single person,” said DPO Rukum Inspector Puran Chhetri.

Jagbir Rawal of Syalapakha in Rukum, said he cultivates the plants illegally as he can generate more income. He also vowed to stop cultivating poppy if the government provided alternative means of income generation.