HC Deb 12 April 1922 vol 153 cc450-1W
Mr. GILBERT

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he will state for each of the years 1919, 1920 and 1921, the acreage under poppy cultivation in India, the total amount of raw opium produced, the quantity exported, and the revenue derived by the Indian Government from opium?

Earl WINTERT0N

The following are the latest revised figures: The area under poppy cultivation in British India was 177,124 acres in 1918–19; 163,125 acres in 1919–20, and is estimated at 143,750 acres for the year 1920–21. The area under cultivation in the Indian States has been estimated at 24,871 acres in 1918–19 and 56,934 in 1919–20. In neither case are total figures available for any later period. The total amount of raw opium produced from the area under cultivation in British India was 2,247,081 lbs. in 1918–19; 1,876,114 lbs. in 1919–20, and is estimated at 1,645,714 lbs. in 1920–21. No information is available regarding the total production of the Indian States. The amount of raw opium exported from British India was 14,828 chests in 1918–19, and 10,509 in 1919–20. The gross revenue derived by the Central Government from opium was£3,289,111 in 1918–19;£3,037,480 in 1919–20, and is estimated at£2,415,466 in 1920–21.

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