Jammu, Apr 20:  Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir today reviewed the measures to be taken for increasing the saffron production in the state.
 Minister of State for Agriculture,   Javiad Ahmad Dar, VC, SKAUST, Srinagar,   Anwar Aalam, VC, SKAUST, Jammu,   Mishra, Director Agriculture, Kashmir, Mian Abdul Majeed, Director Agriculture Jammu besides officers of agriculture department were present on the occasion.
 Under lining the need for increasing the saffron production in the State, Mir said the product has vast marketing potential in and outside the country. He asked the officers to identify the areas where saffron could be cultivated at a large scale.
 Mir said that Saffron would be presented as a product in the Country, adding the matter would, shortly, be taken up with the Union Minister for Agriculture. The Minister asked the officers to come up with a proposal so that funds could be arranged from the Centre to increase saffron production in the State.
 Terming the marketing an important factor for promotion of the product, the Minister said that the primary need is to check the sale of fake saffron in and outside the State. He said proper marketing can ensure increase of the price of the product.
 Mir said that, apart from input facilities, the farmers need viable irrigation facilities to take the mission forward successfully.  
 Javaid, while speaking on the occasion, said that need of the hour is to initiate concerted efforts for increasing saffron production in the State, adding that expansion is necessary for bring more areas under the cultivation of saffron. He said the more land we bring under saffron cultivation, the more production is possible. He said Government would encourage those farmers who will come forward to cultivate saffron. He asked the officers to launch a massive awareness drive among the farmers about the benefits of the product.
 The Minister said that in view of insufficient production of saffron, our country has to import saffron to meet the requirement in the country, adding a huge amount of foreign exchange could be saved once the production is increased in the country to balance the demand and supply of product. He said the Saffron of our state is considered a qualitative product compare to other countries.
 The meeting was informed that earlier saffron was cultivated in Kashmir Valley at Pampore and in Jammu at Kishtwar, which has now been spread to  Budgam district in Kashmir Valley and at Kud in Jammu. It was given out that 256 nurseries have been established in the State for producing saffron seedlings. The meeting was told that a proposal  of Rs. 120 crore was earlier sent to Centre in 2005 for promotion of saffron cultivation in the State.
 VCS, SKUAT, SRINAGAR AND JAMMU, DIRECTORS OF AGRICULTURE, KASHMIR AND JAMMU ALSO SHARE THEIR OPINIONS AND PUT FORTH SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION AND IMPLEMENTATION.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST