Best Saffron in Kishtwar; but focus on Kashmir only

February 19th, 2013
Early Times Report

Jammu, Feb 18: Growers in remote mountainous district of Kishtwar in Jammu region are angry because they “grow best saffron but incentives go to Kashmiris.”
According to Agriculture department, two months back, Rs. 8.70 crores was distributed as incentive under the National Mission on Saffron (NMS) among over 1800 growers in South Kashmir area where Saffron grows. But the rich spice growers of Kishtwar in Jammu region resent “we did not figure in the list of incentive recipients.”
Mohammad Ayub a Saffron grower in Pochhal village adjacent to Kishtwar resents lack of assistance by the Agriculture department, “though this area produces best saffron not only in the State but in the world.”
Saffron grows once in a year in September-October and is stigma of a very sensitive and delicate purple colored flower. “Our saffron is best because we pick the flower before the sun rise and that is one of the secrets of its quality and other factor is quality of soil,” Ayub told Early Times over telephone from Pochhal.
Ghulam Mohi-ud-din also owns a saffron field in the area and shares Ayub’s feelings over “apathetic attitude of Government towards saffron farmers of Pochhal.”
These farmers are getting about 2.5 to 3 kilograms of saffron from one acre of land. There is about 300 acres of land under saffron cultivation in Pochhal as against about 7200 acres in Kashmir valley.

These farmers earn about Rs. 1.5 lakhs to 2 lakhs every year from Saffron production. “You compare and see yourself our saffron is better than that of not only Kashmir but that of Iran also,” another grower Ghulam Qadir Giri told Early Times over telephone. “But Government is giving preferential treatment to Kashmiri saffron growers only.”
The Chief Agriculture Officer of Kishtwar R.K. Hiteshi too agrees with the growers, traders and locals, “This area produces one of the best quality saffron in the world.”
But Hiteshi says, “Agriculture department is giving all possible help in saffron cultivation in the area including training, holding camps, bore-wells for irrigation, providing fertilizers, manures and procuring machinery.”
The agriculture officer told that Kishtwar was marked under NMS and “We have prepared a plan of Rs. 322.90 lakhs under it which includes Rs. 274 lakhs for incentives to farmers.” The incentive of farmers is 70 percent of the cost incurred on the growth of saffron.
“The incentives will be paid to the saffron growers as soon as the plan is cleared by the Government.” National Mission on Saffron is aimed to increase productivity, maintaining quality and improving marketing facilities of saffron. Under the mission, Rs 372.18 crore will be spent over a period of four years, beginning 2010-11, in all the saffron-growing districts of the State, including Pulwama, Budgam and Srinagar in Kashmir and Kishtwar in Jammu.
The State produces 8.5 metric tonnes of saffron every year.