Why were the farmers of Bihar and Bengal unwilling to grow opium?

Why were the farmers of Bihar and Bengal unwilling to grow opium?
Answer:
The farmers of Bihar and Bengal were unwilling to grow opium because

  • Opium had to be grown on the lands where pulses were grown.
  • Farmers were poor, didn’t own land to cultivate opium. They had to pay rent.
  • The cultivation of opium was difficult as the plant was delicate and spent more hours in nurturing it.
  • The price paid to cultivators for the opium was very low.