2018: A tough year for Kishtwar saffron producers

The previous year, 2018, was a tough year for the saffron farmers of Kishtwar as the production of the extremely labor-intensive crop plummeted to the lowest amount in the past 10 years.

In Kishtwar district, saffron farming is mainly don’t in Pochhal, Matta, Tund, Hidyal, Sanghrambhata, Cherhar and Palamar. Due to the production being extremely low, a large number of farmers are pondering over switching to some other crop.

   

As per official data, for the session 2009-2010, 120 hectares of land was used for farming, while the production was 264 kilograms. In 2010-11, 270 kgs were produced from the 120 hectare farm land, in 2011-2012, 325 kgs from 130 hectares, in 2012-13, 240 kgs from 150 hectares, in 2013-14, 600 kgs from 150 hectares, in 2014-15, 300 kgs from 150 hectares, in 2015-16, 400 kgs from 202 hectares, in 2016-17, 202 hecatres from 150 kgs.

In 2017-2018, the yield remained low due to excessive rains as only 35 kgs of saffron was produced from 202 hectares of land. The number further decreased in 2018-19, as only 33 kgs were produced from 202 hectares, due to heavy snowfall during the flowering stage, official numbers revealed.

While the crop is prone to being affected due to the climatic conditions, the farmers demanded an insurance policy for saffron farming, like other crops incorporated by the government.

“The underdevelopment of saffron production forced a large number of growers to avail Kissan Credit loan for the enhancement of production,” AnujDass, a farmer, said.

HaseebDrabu, former finance minister, had announced, while presenting the budget, that the farmers who availed financial help from the state government through banks, like J&K Bank, 50 percent of their Kissan Credit Card (KCC) loans would be waived off, in case the outstanding balance is less than Rs 1 lakh.

A large number of farmers of Kishtwar district availed KCC loans from Jammu and Kashmir Bank to enhance saffron production as well as help them in the day-to-day life, until the crop is ripe.

“We took loans from banks for enhancement of production of saffron, but after the 2014 floods, our crop was destroyed. In the ensuing year, 2018, drought-like conditions destroyed the produce,” Arshad Hussain, a farmer from Pochhal village said, adding, “We were expecting good production in 2019, but untimely snowfall has also damaged the corm.”

While talking to Greater Kashmir, scores of KCC beneficiaries said, “After the announcement made by the then finance minister, the banks only waived off 50 percent of the KCC loan of those farmers who had an outstanding of less than Rs 1 lakh. The rest of us, who had a balance of over Rs 1 lakh, due to interest, were ignored completely.”

The farmers appealed to the Governor to waive off the KCC loans as they do not have money to pay the banks.

Pertinently, as per official reports, the KCC loan scheme till 2014-15 achieved a registration of 803586 accounts and issued Rs 522426.36 as loans.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

seven + twelve =