Saffron growers concerned over shrinking market base

Concerned over the shrinking market base of their produce, saffron growers of the state today met Pradesh Congress chief Saifuddin Soz to seek his intervention in putting an end to a propaganda that Kashmiri saffron was adulterated and of poor quality.

A delegation of saffron growers of Pampore called on Soz and explained to him their problems in detail and asked for a remedy especially how to revive the market for the produce, general secretary of JKPCC Mohammad Anwar Bhat told PTI.

Saffron growers complained that vested interests and middlemen had resorted to the malpractice of adulteration and brought bad name to the saffron industry.

So much so that a considerable stock of pure saffron was lying in store in Pampore in the absence of market anywhere in India, Bhat said.

The delegation lamented that a word had spread that Kashmiri saffron is adulterated and of very poor quality with the result that the market for Kashmiri saffron had shrunk substantially.

Soz assured the delegation that he would take up this matter with the chief minister Omar Abdullah and also with the Union government and see to it that the confidence of the buyers of Kashmiri saffron was restored.

However, he also asked the growers to remain steadfast in their resolve not to adulterate their produce.