For Indian farmers growing opium was not profitable. Explain why?

CBSE Class 9 CBSE Class 9 Social Science
1

For Indian farmers growing opium was not profitable. Explain why?

2

Indian farmers were reluctant to grow opium for the following reasons :

  1. Opium had to be grown on the most fertile land, but on this land peasants usually produced pulses which complemented the food needs of farmers.
  2. Many cultivators owned no land. To cultivate, they had to lease land from landlords and pay rent. The rent charged by the landlords was very high.
  3. The cultivation of opium was a difficult process. The opium plant was delicate and cultivators had to spend long hours nurturing it. This meant that they did not have enough time to care for other crops.
  4. The price the government paid to the cultivators for the opium was very low.
  5. British Government had maintained a monopoly over opium trade due to which the farmers could not sell to other traders.