New Delhi, April 29 -- Poppy cultivation in Rajasthan is a unique and tightly regulated agricultural activity that plays an important role in both the rural economy and the pharmaceutical industry.

The crop, scientifically known as Papaver somniferum, is primarily grown for its opium latex, which is processed and used to produce medicinal compounds like morphine and codeine.

Rajasthan, along with Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, is one of the few regions in India where legal cultivation of opium poppy is permitted.

Within Rajasthan, districts such as Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Jhalawar, Kota, and Udaipur have emerged as key centres for this specialised form of agriculture due to favourable soil and climatic conditions.

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