Pulwama, Nov 09: The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir (SKUAST-K) will work towards developing three model saffron gardens in the Pampore area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
This announcement was made by SKUAST-K Vice Chancellor Dr Nazir Ahmad Ganai during a media interaction following his visit to the saffron fields on Pampore Karewas. He said the university plans to establish three large demonstration plots for saffron cultivation at three spots in Pampore.
“We will be talking to saffron growers in this regard and take up the proposal with the government,” he said, adding that SKUAST-K will ensure proper irrigation and management for these model fields.
The Vice Chancellor said the demonstration plots will serve as examples for farmers interested in adopting similar practices. The focus will be on corm multiplication as well as growing saffron flowers for harvesting stigmas, he said.
Prof Ganai said the demand for saffron corms has increased significantly across the country, due to which the requirement for saffron corms in Jammu and Kashmir has surged. “Ten years ago, 100 kilograms of saffron corms would sell for around Rs 10,000, but today the same quantity sells for Rs 1,00,000,” he said, encouraging farmers to cultivate saffron not only for spices but also for corm multiplication.
He said that a farmer can earn around Rs 3 lakh per kanal by cultivating saffron for stigma production and corm multiplication, which is more profitable than cultivating high-density apple crops on the same amount of land. “Saffron farming involves fewer risks compared to high-density apple farming but offers higher returns,” he explained, urging Pampore’s saffron growers to adopt new technologies in saffron cultivation and corm multiplication to maximize their earnings.
The VC SKUAST-K said that although climate change over the past many years has affected saffron cultivation in Kashmir, the adoption of new technologies has resulted in an increase in per-hectare productivity from 3 kilograms to 5 kilograms.
