No Illegal Ganja Cultivation Detected In ASR District In 2025-26
ASR district reported zero acres of illegal ganja cultivation in 2025-26, following sustained enforcement and support for tribal farmers adopting alternative crops.
The Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district administration reported zero acres of illegal ganja cultivation in 2025-26, following a steady decline in the area under the crop over the previous four years.
Official data showed that enforcement agencies destroyed 7,515.15 acres of illegal ganja cultivation in 2021-22. The area declined to 1,039.32 acres in 2022-23, 347.59 acres in 2023-24 and 93.01 acres in 2024-25.
Officials attributed the decline to sustained enforcement, regular monitoring and programmes promoting alternative sources of income for tribal farmers. They inspected all 83 locations identified as vulnerable to illegal cultivation and revisited sites where ganja had been detected in previous years.
Under programmes converged through the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, officials encouraged farmers to cultivate avocado, rambutan, litchi, dragon fruit, exotic vegetables and other crops suited to the district's climate.
The administration identified 167 farmers affected by the anti-ganja campaign. Of them, 68 received assistance to establish orchards across 64.5 acres. Officials also distributed 3,225 avocado and rambutan saplings.
Other farmers have expressed interest in alternative crops, including coffee, rajma and horticultural plantations.
Officials said promoting alternative crops would be important to sustaining the decline in illegal cultivation. However, some crops, including avocado and rambutan, take several years to yield commercial returns, making continued support and access to markets important for farmers shifting to legal cultivation.