Saffron harvesting season is about to begin
MASROOR AHMAD
DUSOO PAMPORE: The Saffron harvesting season in Kashmir runs from mid-October to late November. Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, and it comes from the stigmas of the purple flower of the plant. Saffron is also referred to as “Red Gold”. Pampore area is the famous for Saffron cultivation, and out of total 5,707 hectares of land under saffron cultivation in Kashmir, more than 90 per cent is in Pampore Tehsil of Pulwama district.
According to Saffron growers, after years of losses, we were in depression and most of the farmers were changing their crops.
Fayaz Ahmad a Saffron farmer from Khrew area of Pampore, said Saffron was cultivated on large scale in rural areas of district Pulwama in the past.
However, due to different obstacles in Saffron cultivation ,growers shifted to other horticulture crops and today Saffron crop is limited to the Pampore and its adjacent areas.
Musavir Ahmad, a young saffron grower from Dusoo Pampore told the State Times, “Saffron fields are shrinking drastically as illegal construction of residential houses and other buildings continues. Revenue officials are watching but no action is taken against the culprits. I am just 20 year old and we have several acres of Saffron land in Dusoo and Lelhar area, my father is taking care of this land, we are getting good yield but I don’t understand why people are constructing their residential houses in Saffron field.”
He added, that there are hundreds of Kanals of other open land in the area but people are destroying saffron land.
Pampore meadows attracts tourists from everywhere to witness the yellow, maroon and purple colour of blossoms that bloom beside giant Chinars and harvest time resembles a festival for villages in the area.
The Saffron farmers of Dusoo area are still waiting for Saffron blossoms. “Due to the constant dry ,hot and humid weather this year, we do not expect that we will get more productions this year, may be it will be less ,”he said.
Meanwhile the Director Agriculture Kashmir visited Saffron areas of Pampore and took stock of the crop scenario.
During the visit, the Director inspected different fields and took feedback from the concerned saffron growers regarding the saffron crop. He assured farmers that the department is taking steps to strengthening of irrigation facilities in the saffron areas of Pampore.
He said the recent spell of showers is a blessing from almighty for the saffron crop as this was the need of hour.
The Director said that the department has already ensured that the functional bore wells in the areas are put to the service of Saffron farmers but the wet spell has complemented the overall efforts by the department in this direction .He said that the department is working for area expansion under Saffron crop and different stakeholders including farmers, Kisan advisory board are on board in this endeavour.
The department has identified 350 saffron farms (nurseries) for saffron corn multiplication so that the seed could be provided to more and more farmers and the crop could be introduced in newer areas.
