Saffron in Kashmir has been a ray of hope for the future ofthe state. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be managed appropriately by theauthorities, which is turning hopes into uncertainties. Saffron production hasdropped by around 60 percent during the recent years. Saffron producers werepreviously harvesting and producing 4 kgs of Saffron from each hectare of landcultivated with Saffron plant. However, the production level of Saffron hasdropped to minimum level of 1 kg per hectare of land during the past few yearswhich shows a production vacuum of 75 percent production level of Saffron hasdeclined mainly due to lack of access of farmers to modern cultivationpractices and equipment, lack of access to high quality Saffron plants, lack ofawareness regarding modern procedures to increase the cultivation of Saffronplants, and information regarding the proper timing to irrigate the plants,mainly the irrigation process in the first stage after plants are cultivated.
The condition mentioned is really gloomy and requires properattention and substantial measures by the authorities. The authorities mustrealize that the production of saffron in Kashmir has proved to be veryproductive and positive. It will bring a new ray of hope for Kashmir economyMoreover; Kashmir saffron has proved to be of high quality as well.
National Saffron Mission was launched by the Centre in 2010to boost saffron production in the Kashmir valley. The government approved Rs373 crore as part of the four-year mission (2010-14). To make National SaffronMission (NSM) a success, the project time was later increased by two more yearsand an additional Rs 40 crore was given for reviving 800 hectares of saffronfields.
The project was designed at improving the saffron productionby providing quality seeds and continuous water supply. The responsibility wasassign in the hands of the Agriculture Department and the MechanicalEngineering Department, who were accountable for providing seeds and hiringcontractors to lay down pipes, dig bore wells, and install sprinklers for watersupply. Unfortunately the plan was not channelled by the government intosignificant action on the ground. Irrigation which is the key part of thescheme is now turning into the biggest reason behind its failure.
What State authorities and people require in this regard isproper implementations of their policies to change the scenario. The currentdecline in production should be considered seriously and efforts must be madeto improve the production as per the potentials so that maximum outcomes can beachieved.
Bilal Ahmad Dar is PhD from the school of Business andManagement, Jaipur National University Jaipur.