Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation has allocated 18 hectares of land to a Madhya Pradesh Based company for setting up of a factory for producing semi-refined morphine from poppy seeds.

The company has proposed to invest Rs 150 crore at the Janakpur Industrial area for the processing plant.

MPIDC, Indore executive director Rajesh Rathod said, "This will be a first of its kind facility in the region that will buy poppy directly from farmers and process it to make semi-refined morphine for medicinal purposes. This project is aligned with the ambitious
goals of the central government to achieve self- sufficiency in morphine and its derivatives' production, thereby reducing import reliance and fostering domestic independence."

The plant is projected to have the processing capacity of around 10,000 metric tons of poppy straw per annum.

"The company will also work on seed development and on enhancing alkaloids yield for improved returns to farmers," Rathod said.

The project is expected to generate employment for around 250 people locally while around 1,000 people are likely to be indirectly benefited from the project, MPIDC said.