New Delhi: The government will issue more licences for opium cultivation in crop year 2025-26, the finance ministry said Friday while announcing the annual opium poppy cultivation policy.

It will issue 121,000 licenses in the opium crop year beginning October 1, up 23.5% from the previous year, the ministry said in a statement.

The opium poppy cultivation policy aims to make India self-reliant in alkaloid production, which is used for manufacturing essential narcotic drugs.

The policy also stipulates that licences will be suspended for those farmers who didn't meet the minimum qualifying yield of 800 kg/hectare in the previous crop year.

Existing opium gum cultivators with high morphine yields can retain their licenses, while those with lower yields can opt for the concentrate of poppy straw (CPS) method. The policy covers mainly the farmers of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The statement also said the alkaloid factory at Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh has achieved WHO good manufacturing practice (GMP) certification, reflecting the government's efforts to upgrade its facilities.