Pulwama: Managing Director National Horticulture Board, Ministry of Agriculture & farmers welfare, GoI, Rajbir Singh visited India International Kashmir Saffron Trade Centre at Dussu Pampore. He was accompanied by Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, Director General Horticulture Kashmir Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, Joint Director NHB C.P Gandhi, Joint Director Agriculture Extension Shahid Iqbal Sheikh, Joint Director Farms Syed Waseem, Deputy Director Planning Mohammad Younis Chowdhary and other officers of the department.
MD NHB visited various facilities at the center which include Stigma Separation, Cold Storage Unit, Hi-tech Quality Control Lab, Drying Section, Packaging Section and e-auctioning platform. He was briefed by Director Agriculture Kashmir about various facilities for preserving, grading, marketing of saffron.
Regarding India International Saffron Trade center MD NHB said that this is one of the best in Asian sub-continent and the facilities being provided to the saffron growers is all set to provide Cutting-edge technology to revive Saffron industry.
During the visit of e-auctioning centre, he was apprised by Director Agriculture that the e-auctioning provides a sufficient platform to the saffron growers for getting optimum returns of their yield which ultimately boost the economy of the area. He further added that, IIKSTC will play as a game changer in reviving the traditional Saffron sector. He said that this centre will boost the economy of this area, as saffron will be graded, sold and exported to various countries from this platform.

KR Desk