Wah Saffron! J&K government to increase yield of world’s costliest spice to 5 kilos per hectare

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government has embarked on a mission to increase saffron yield to 5 kilograms per hectare.

 Currently, the saffron production in the valley is limited to 4 kilograms per hectare, which a decade ago was mere 3.3kgs per hectare.

 Officials said that the Union Agriculture Ministry is working to make some extensions in the National Saffron Mission to increase the overall production of the saffron crop. 

 “Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has already passed directions to the agriculture department to increase the productivity of saffron in the valley. The infrastructure will be strengthened. We will introduce the latest methods of farming to achieve this goal, ”they said. 

 From working on the irrigation component to transforming the mode of farming, officials said the target is likely to be achieved in the coming two to three years. 

“We already have a quality seed available in the valley. So far the adverse weather conditions and lack of irrigation facilities at certain places have been playing a spoilsport. The method of farming needs to be revolutionized and should be based on scientific lines, from sowing corms to harvesting flowers,” they said. 

 Officials said the need for increasing production is being felt because of the reduction in the cultivation area in the last few decades.

 As per figures, the area under saffron production declined from about 5707 hectares to 3785 hectares in 2010-11.

 Director of the agriculture department Chowdary Mohammad Iqbal told The Kashmir Monitor that various projects have been taken up to achieve the target.

 “It would require multiplication of seeds and an equal focus on rejuvenation and interlinked farming. government of India has taken up the extension part and very soon the mission will be accomplished,” he said.

 Iqbal said the department is equally working on the marketing of saffron to give better returns to the growers.

 Pertinently last year the annual yield of saffron was rerecorded 15.04 metric tonnes, which was the highest production recorded in the last 25 years in Kashmir.

 Earlier, the highest production was recorded in 1996  when the yield hit 15 MT. The average yield was 2.80 kg per hectare, while the cultivated area was 5,707 hectares.