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| Saffron mission fails farmers | | Kashmir loses thousands of kanals since 1990 | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 26: Mohammad Sidiq still remembers when he would cultivate saffron over six hectares of land at Pampore just two decades ago . He would earn lakhs of rupees from its production.
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 ensure proper irrigation.
"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.
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 adding people also sold a large part of saffron land on which constructions have been built.
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.
Bashir 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," Bashir said.
As per the official figures available, saffron crop was being cultivated on 5707 hectares of land at Pampore in 1996, which has now reached to around 3500 hectares.
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.
Farmers said they started using new technology under the centrally sponsored scheme. "But the irrigation project has not been completed," he said.
"The production of saffron will be increased only by irrigation facilities," he said.
However, an official of Agriculture Department said that 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," he said.
He 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.
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. |
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