Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued specific direction to save the celebrated spice from going extinct even while re-engaging the local youth.
Concerned at the decline in the production and cultivation of world famous saffron in Jammu and Kashmir, the Ministry of Agriculture has set up a unique high-tech 'Saffron Park' in Pulwama district. Interestingly, the saffron growing district of Pulwama has been in news over past one and half year for all bad things — from intense stone pelting to revival of militancy.
According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued specific direction to save the celebrated spice from going extinct even while re-engaging the local youth. There is plan to set up another park in remote Kishtwar district, in Pir Panchal region of the state as well. There are only two places in India, where soil matches the characteristics required for growing saffron – often described by connoisseurs as reminiscent of metallic honey.
Also, the main idea behind the revival of saffron production is to take over the international market which is currently dominated by Spain and Iran; even though the Kashmir saffron is the best in the world.
"Besides providing world-class facilities to improve cultivation, production and branding of Kashmir's saffron, this would provide job opportunities to youths in the valley. The move will help to make the area more developed," said a senior Union Agriculture Ministry officer.
The Saffron Park has come up at a cost of Rs 400 crore, and is equipped with hi-tech machinery for processing, drying, grading, packing and marketing of saffron, quality control lab, e-auction centre, garbage and waste utilization among other latest facilities.
Sundeep Kumar Nayak, Principal Secretary to Jammu and Kashmir government's agriculture department said works on Saffron Park has been completed and this would provide job opportunities to stone pelters and disgruntled youths in the valley.
Jammu and Kashmir's Agriculture Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone and senior officials of Jammu & Kashmir agriculture production department met Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Friday to review the saffron park project.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has requested the Centre to extend the 'national mission of saffron', project by another five years.
"All marketing solutions will be provided to the farmer under one roof. Kashmir saffron has been registered as a brand (Koshur Kong). Geographic Indicator registration for Kashmir saffron has been taken up," said a senior Ministry officer.
The ultra-modern facility at Saffron Park Laboratory is geared to meet all concerns about adulteration in collaboration with Spices Board of India.
The quality control laboratory will issue qualify certificate of various grades, for which a certification authority will be designated by the State Government. This would significantly discourage adulteration and sale of low-grade Saffron being sold in the name of Kashmir saffron.
Kashmir valley is known for high quality of saffron in the world but there had been a decline in the cultivation.
The area under Saffron cultivation is declined from 5707 hectares in 1996-97 to 3785 hectares in 2014-15 bringing down the production from 3.13 kg/hectares to 1.88 kg/hectares in the last few years. The decline was mainly attributed to prevailing tension in the areas and low benefit-cost ration due to the intensive and expensive cost of cultivation as well as low productivity of saffron.
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