Opium Cultivation: This farmer is earning a lot by cultivating this thing
Opium Cultivation: Due to the fact that farmers in the Barabanki district grow opium extensively and profitably, the area is well-known for its opium production. You may have seen that opium addiction affects a lot of individuals. Do you realize, however, that birds also do this? One such bird that consumes opium with passion is the parrot. A parrot will develop an addiction to the opium pod’s intoxicating milk after tasting it.
Even if it is scared away by approaching too closely, this bird, which takes flight at the sound of human footsteps, does not fly away from the opium plant. Opium is extracted from opium plants at the same time as the pods are connected to the tree. However, since addicted parrots consume opium off the pods in the field, farmers now deal with a lot of problems.
Along with animals, parrots may also be harmful.
Farmers in the Barabanki area are now growing opium. They incur more losses from parrots than from Nilgai and other animals in this farming. These parrots linger around opium from dawn to sunset because they love and are intelligent enough to ingest it. They shrewdly shatter the opium as soon as they can, crush it in their beak, and take off, continuing to consume it with immense delight. For opium cultivators, every drop of opium is very valuable.
They are cunning robbers.
Farmers are forced to bear significant losses as a result of these opium-eating parrots. These parrots are so skilled at stealing opium that they can demonstrate their beak’s ability in a farmer’s blink of an eye. One pod of opium contains at least 25 to 30 grams of opium. Farmers lose a lot of money as a result of these addicted parrots stealing large amounts of opium in a single day.
When someone shows up once, they keep coming back.
The main issue with opium farming, according to farmer Sangram Singh, is Nilgai and parrots, among other birds, he informed the reporters. Opium has an intoxicating effect since it is a narcotic, and the Nilgai keep returning to it after eating it. The most destructive bird is the parrot. The parrot chops it when its pods are ripe, removes it, and sits on the tree to comfortably consume it. It develops an addiction to both it and the drug.
Guarding is challenging.
The safety of opium farming is the main issue. Production is limited; for example, we are required to provide 80 kg of opium under one license this time, regardless of whether it is consumed by a Nilgai or a parrot. We utilize noise-making tools like slingshots, especially to keep parrots away. When struck by a slingshot, parrots take off, but it’s extremely hard to keep them safe.