Poppy farmers in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch district face unprecedented challenges as flocks of opium-addicted parrots repeatedly destroy their crops, according to local reports.
Despite employing loudspeakers and firecrackers to deter the birds, farmers say the parrots have developed strategies to bypass these measures. The birds target poppy plants multiple times daily, ripping open pods to consume seeds with narcotic properties that appear to affect them similarly to caffeine in humans.
Farmer Nandkishore described the damage: "A single poppy flower yields 20-25 grams of opium. Parrots feed on these plants 30-40 times daily, sometimes carrying entire pods away. This severely impacts production."
Video evidence shows parrots aggressively pecking at poppy stalks and transporting pods to nearby trees. Local experts suggest the birds have learned to time their raids to avoid detection, sometimes waiting for farmers to open pods to access latex containing morphine.
Dr R S Chundawat, an opium specialist, explained that the seeds' effects mirror human stimulant reactions, leading to rapid addiction. This phenomenon is not new—similar incidents were reported in Rajasthan in 2015 and Chittorgarh/Pratapgarh in earlier years.
The issue highlights broader ecological concerns about wildlife adapting to human agricultural practices, as seen in other cases like Minnesota's "drunk" birds consuming fermented berries.
