PAPAVER 



OPIUM 



Revenue 



Revenue. 



Foreign 

 Sales. 



THE OPIUM POPPY 



1,416 cwt. to the Central Provinces and Berar, and 271 cwt. to the Panjab. 

 The next important centre is Bengal, which exported 50,171 cwt., mainly 

 to Calcutta. Then come Eajputana and Central India, which exported 

 18,500 cwt., mainly to Bombay town ; and lastly the Bombay Presidency 

 exported 2,983 cwt. to Bombay town, and these two items of Bombay 

 town supply constitute the Malwa opium of commerce. 



Opium Revenue. The following statement of the opium revenue 

 for five years may be instructive : 



* Approximates. 



The excise revenue on opium is composed of duty and vend fees. The 

 former varies with local conditions, being highest where smuggling is most 

 difficult. The average per seer in Assam is Rs. 28'5 ; in Bengal, Rs. 20'5 ; 

 in Central Provinces, Rs. 13'5 ; in Madras and Bombay, Rs. 10 ; in the 

 United Provinces, Rs. 8'8 ; and in the Panjab, Rs. 3'6. Adding vend 

 fees the average ranges from Rs. 34'9 in Assam to Rs. 11*5 in the Panjab. 



Foreign Sales. The number of chests of Bengal opium sold (Fin. 

 and Comm. Stat. Br. Ind., 1906, 56), and the average prices realised during 

 the six years 1897-8 to 1903-4, were as follows : 



The actual exports from Calcutta and Bombay were :- 



858 



