NL Correspondent
SRINAGAR: The Kashmir valley has lost 2200 hectares of saffron land in the last two decades.
As per the official figures, saffron crop was being cultivated on 5707 hectares of land at Pampore in 1996, which has now reached to around 3500 hectares.
Mohammad Sidiq still remembers when he would cultivate saffron over six hectares of land at Pampore, two decades back. He would earn lakhs of rupees from its productions.
However, these days he is worried that there may be decline in saffron production due to dry weather. The government has so far failed to keep the irrigation facilities available.
“Had there been irrigation facilities available, we would not have been dependent on rainfall,” he said.
Saffron flowers are sensitive to vagaries of the weather. Its production depends on the weather conditions and the irrigation facilities. There has been slight rainfall for the last three months in the valley.
He held several reasons responsible for decline in its production. “The government did not show much concern for the prized crop. The authorities are not implementing schemes properly,” he said. “People also sold a large part of saffron land on which constructions have been built,” he added.
Sidiq, who is in his late 50's, has sold two hectares of saffron land, and now owns only four hectares. “We were completely dependent on the money we would earn though saffron production. But there has been drastic decline in its production,” he said.
Gulzar Ahmad, another saffron grower, said that saffron production has been on decline due to government's “mismanagement”. “The funds of centrally sponsored scheme have been kept unspent. There is water deficit and the government has failed to complete the irrigation project,” Gulzar said.
To give boost to the saffron production, ministry of Agriculture and Production, Government of India started a scheme ‘National Mission on Saffron' in 2010 for seven years with project cost of Rs 400.11 crore. So far, the government has utilised only Rs 199.835 crore. The centre has extended the period of completion by March 2018. However, the state has recommended its extension to March 2019.
President, Saffron Growers Association, Abdul Majeed Wani, said farmers started using new technology under the centrally sponsored scheme. “But the irrigation project has not been completed,” he said.
He said that decline in saffron production was due to dry weather. “The production of saffron will be increased only by irrigation facilities. The Mechanical Engineering Department has been directed to build 110 borewells by December end,” he said.
Director Agriculture Department, Kashmir, Aijaz Andrabi, blamed the saffron growers for “not coming forward” to get benefits under the scheme. “The saffron production has been increased. However, the irrigation component of the scheme has not been completed yet. Saffron growers are also not coming forward to get benefit under the scheme,” Andrabi said.
Andrabi said that decline in area was also due to low benefit cost ration. “The production of saffron is an outcome of biological activity which is highly sensitive to changes in weather,” he said, who is also Mission Director National Mission on Saffron JK.
He said land mafia was creating hurdles for laying of pipe network for irrigation facilities. “There is target of 126 tubewells of which 101 have been completed. There is requirement of 124 sprinkler system and nine have been completed,” he said.
He said that Iranian saffron, which does not match the quality of Kashmir saffron, was being imported in India. “It is being rebranded and sold in domestic market on high value thereby defacement of the Kashmir saffron,” he added.
