Published On:Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Saffron production drops by 50%
Floods Aftermath
SRINAGAR: The continuous rains which brought devastating floods in Kashmir valley last month have hugely impacted Kashmir most precious crop-the saffron as its production has declined by over 50 percent.
According to the Agriculture Department of Kashmir, huge losses have been reported on the saffron crop as the production has declined by over 50 percent. “Before the September rains, we were expecting a production of over 15 metric tones of saffron crop this year but now the expectations have gone down to even less than seven metric tones,” there are chances that the production will be even less than seven metric tonnes,” Director Agriculture Kashmir, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah told Kashmir Monitor.
Shah said due to the continuous rains, the saffron corns were either damaged or have gone to vegetative phase due which the production has declined. “More moisture in the soil is not good for corn that is why the corn has either got damaged or have gone to vegetative phase. Vegetative phase is when the corn only yields grass and no crop,” he said.
Shah said State Government had already asked for a 50 percent compensation for saffron growers to the Central Government and a relief Rs 600 per Kanal under the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) has already been given to the growers.
After the National Saffron Mission was launched by the Government of India in partnership with J&K Government in 2010, the production of saffron had got increased. Last year the production of saffron was around 14 metric tones which were expected to cross the 16 metric tones by this year but rains played a spoilsport.
Meanwhile, President Saffron Growers Association, Abdul Majid Wani told Kashmir Monitor that a loss of over 80 percent has occurred to the saffron crop but the state government is deliberately putting the figures at 50 percent. “The crop has entirely got damaged. There is only grass this season in the saffron fields and flowers are very less,” he said. “The saffron fields remained inundated under rain water for days due to the corn was damaged,” he added.
SRINAGAR: The continuous rains which brought devastating floods in Kashmir valley last month have hugely impacted Kashmir most precious crop-the saffron as its production has declined by over 50 percent.
According to the Agriculture Department of Kashmir, huge losses have been reported on the saffron crop as the production has declined by over 50 percent. “Before the September rains, we were expecting a production of over 15 metric tones of saffron crop this year but now the expectations have gone down to even less than seven metric tones,” there are chances that the production will be even less than seven metric tonnes,” Director Agriculture Kashmir, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah told Kashmir Monitor.
Shah said due to the continuous rains, the saffron corns were either damaged or have gone to vegetative phase due which the production has declined. “More moisture in the soil is not good for corn that is why the corn has either got damaged or have gone to vegetative phase. Vegetative phase is when the corn only yields grass and no crop,” he said.
Shah said State Government had already asked for a 50 percent compensation for saffron growers to the Central Government and a relief Rs 600 per Kanal under the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) has already been given to the growers.
After the National Saffron Mission was launched by the Government of India in partnership with J&K Government in 2010, the production of saffron had got increased. Last year the production of saffron was around 14 metric tones which were expected to cross the 16 metric tones by this year but rains played a spoilsport.
Meanwhile, President Saffron Growers Association, Abdul Majid Wani told Kashmir Monitor that a loss of over 80 percent has occurred to the saffron crop but the state government is deliberately putting the figures at 50 percent. “The crop has entirely got damaged. There is only grass this season in the saffron fields and flowers are very less,” he said. “The saffron fields remained inundated under rain water for days due to the corn was damaged,” he added.
