Rajasthan's Opium-Addicted Parrots Devour Crops Worth ₹2 Lakh Daily, Farmers Troubled

• Parrots in Rajasthan's Mewar region have become addicted to opium, consuming crops worth up to ₹2 lakh daily.
• These 'drug-addicted' parrots attack standing opium crops, pecking pods and swallowing the sap, causing significant financial losses to farmers.
• Despite favorable weather for a bumper harvest, farmers are struggling to protect their crops, using nets, scare devices, and loudspeakers.
• Opium is cultivated under strict licensing in districts like Bhilwara, Jhalawar, Kota, Pratapgarh, Udaipur, and Baran.
• Government procurement of unlanced opium pods (CPS) is set to begin in various districts from early April.