Srinagar, October 12, 2022 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the authorities’ apathy and an uptick in construction in saffron fields are causing a decline in saffron production and shrinking land for the prized spice. Kashmiri saffron – renowned for its aroma and quality worldwide – is largely grown in Pampore and some in pockets of Badgam and Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley, and involves laborious harvesting methods.

Locals from Pampore which is known as saffron town said that in the absence of facilities and IIOJK administration’s non-seriousness towards the promotion of the saffron, many growers in the occupied Valley have switched to other crops. They said that the much-hyped so-called ‘National Saffron Mission’ set up in 2010 by the then Indian government has not yielded results as the authorities were unable to make functional the water pumps meant for irrigating the fields in the dry season. They also said that land under saffron is shrinking because of residential and commercial complexes coming up in saffron fields.

Chairman Saffron Growers Association Kashmir, Abdul Majeed Wani, in a media interview said the ‘Saffron Mission’ could not achieve its target as the irrigation system remained incomplete. This, he said, prompted many to switch to other crops. Wani said since 2014 most of the growers have lost interest in saffron and the last three years have seen a decline in production. As per the official data, saffron production has decreased from 16.45 metric tonnes to 0.02 metric tonnes in the last five years in IIOJK. Wani also highlighted the conversion of saffron fields, saying that the people are constructing complexes and houses amid the ban. He ruled that IIOJK also lacks a proper seed nursery from where growers can get seeds to continue growing saffron.

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