Kashmir’s district shifts away from poppy, sees rise in rural earnings through new crops

“I now earn an additional ₹46,000, supplementing my annual income,” said a farmer from a quaint village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, about 65 km from Srinagar.

Like many others in the area, the middle-aged farmer once relied on poppy cultivation to earn his livelihood. But under the district administration’s Rehnuma programme, launched as part of the Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyan (Drug-Free J&K Campaign), he switched to cultivating a variety of vegetables on his farm, sprawling over three kanals. 

Since its launch in 2023, large tracts of land under poppy cultivation have been converted into high-yielding varieties of maize, vegetables and apples by encouraging farmers to shun narcotics farming. 

Official data suggest that a total of 738 kanals  were under poppy cultivation before the programme was rolled out in the area. Within a year that figure dropped to 49 kanals. 

“By 2025, the district achieved 100 per cent zero poppy cultivation with farmers switching to maize, paddy, vegetables and floriculture,” said a senior official.  

Officials say the administration is now focusing on sustaining zero poppy cultivation by involving local governance bodies in regular monitoring. Under the new plan, Gram Panchayats have been tasked with identifying and reporting any illegal cultivation, ensuring community-level vigilance and long-term compliance.

Thousands of kanals of land across Kashmir Valley are under poppy cultivation, prompting authorities to carry out regular eradication drives. In 2023 alone, law enforcement agencies destroyed illegal poppy and cannabis crops spread over 9,448 kanals, official data show.

The poppy cultivation has fuelled the region’s rising drug problem, with hardest drugs like heroin becoming a major concern across Jammu and Kashmir. Data from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment show that Jammu and Kashmir has more than 1.35 million drug users, including about 1,68,000 minors aged 10 to 17. Of these, nearly 95,000 are reported to be opioid users.

Under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985, cultivating opium poppy is illegal except when done for medical or scientific purposes and in accordance with the Act’s provisions. The law permits such cultivation only with a valid license issued by the Central Bureau of Narcotics. According to Section 18 of the Act, those found guilty of cultivating small quantities of poppy (up to one kilogram) can face imprisonment of up to one year, while offences involving commercial quantities (up to 50 kilograms) carry a jail term ranging from ten to twenty years.

Officials in Kulgam believe that the district’s success has set an example for the rest of the Valley, showing that a sustained campaign, coupled with community participation and viable livelihood options, can eliminate narcotics cultivation. 

Published on October 13, 2025