The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in partnership with Churachandpur Police and corporate social responsibility partner Segula Technologies, marked a significant milestone on 11 June 2026 as farmers in Churachandpur district, Manipur, brought in their first legal harvest of green peas under Project HINICHI — an alternative cropping initiative designed to wean communities away from illicit poppy cultivation. The programme, launched in April 2026, has already reached 124 households farming across 254 acres of previously poppy-dependent land.

What Project HINICHI Delivers

The initiative provides participating farmers with essential crop inputs, structured agricultural training, and market-linkage support — a three-pronged model intended to make legal farming economically competitive with illicit poppy cultivation. Green peas were selected as the primary alternative crop given their steady market demand and reliable income potential. Officials noted that disbursement of inputs and training was completed before the first planting cycle, enabling a full growing season under the new framework.

Scale and Community Impact

The transition has extended beyond individual households. Collective farming practices and shared training sessions have reportedly strengthened cooperation among villagers, with community bonds deepening as farmers work alongside one another rather than in isolated plots. For many of the 124 families involved, this harvest represents not only a source of income but also, according to project officials, a restoration of dignity and stability that illicit cultivation had long undermined.

The Broader Anti-Narcotics Mission

The NCB framed Project HINICHI as a convergence of law enforcement, local administration, and corporate social responsibility — a model it believes can be replicated in other regions of India grappling with entrenched illicit cultivation. 'From poppy fields to prosperity, this initiative is about empowering communities, strengthening livelihoods and advancing the national mission of a drug-free India,' the Bureau stated. Notably, Churachandpur has historically been among the districts in Manipur where poppy cultivation has been difficult to eradicate through enforcement alone, making the voluntary transition significant.

Replication Potential and What Comes Next

As the first harvest reaches local markets, authorities and partner organisations are assessing outcomes — including income levels, acreage converted, and household participation rates — to build a replicable blueprint. The NCB has indicated that Project HINICHI's success could inform similar alternative development programmes in other narcotics-affected districts across the country. Whether the model sustains beyond the first harvest cycle, particularly without continued CSR and government support, will be the critical test in the months ahead.