PAMPORE: One Day workshop cum awareness programme on “Identification of Production, Processing, and Marketing related Problems in Saffron” and their redressels held at Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute Pampore area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The one day awareness programme on “identification of production, processing and marketing related problems in saffron and their redressel was organized by CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Srinagar in collaboration with Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), DST, GOI under the patronage and supervision of Director CSIR IIIM Jammu, Dr. D. Srinivasa Reddy, Head RMBD Er. Abdul Rahim and Head, CSIR IIIM, Srinagar, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, officials told Kashmir Reader.
The programme was attended by Director Extension SKUAST-Kashmir Dil Mohammad Maqdoomi, Executive Director TIFAC, Prof. Pradeep Srivastava, Dr. Gautam Goswami and Ms. Jancy.
The Inaugural session was followed by technical session and interaction with participants, farmers, growers and other stakeholders for suggestions, comments and queries.
The Inaugural session started in the the promises of Central Sericultural Research Centre Galander area of Pampore with a formal welcome address by Dr. Phalisteen Sultan who welcomed all the dignitaries, participants and all associated functionaries involved in this event.
Dr. Nasheeman Ashraf who was the organizer of the programme, apprised the participants about the main objective of the event, why it is important to preserve saffron crop, learn about the problems faced by saffron growers and scientific intervention required to address these problems.
Dr. Riyaz ul Hassan co-organizer, gave detailed information about the saffron crop, how and why saffron showed decrease in cultivation as well as production in last few decades. He also talked about the research work CSIR-IIIM is doing on saffron.
Prof. Pradeep Srivastava, Guest of Honour talked about keenness of TIFAC to provide technological solutions to saffron problems. He said there is an urgent need that we take saffron farmers on board and devise strategies to address their problems. Dr. Goswami added how we can go for model villages, where we apply technological solutions to the saffron problems and see how we can enhance saffron production and hence improve economy of farming community.
About 100 participants including growers, farmers, entrepreneurs participated in the programme.
The participants took part in face to face interaction and discussed how climate change is affecting saffron cultivation.
They also showed their concern about non availability of good quality planting material. While interacting with IIIM scientists, they discussed possible solutions to these problems.
At the conclusion of the inaugural session, a formal vote of thanks was presented by Dr. Qazi Parvaiz who thanked all the dignitaries, organizers, participants, farmers in particular, entrepreneurs for accepting invitations to attend the event despite their busy schedule and engagements.
An official of TIFAC , DST, GOI, Ms Jancy told Kashmir Reader that the aim of the workshop was to interact with farmers and listen to their issues.
” We will collect the issues and analyse them,” She said, adding that they will provide solutions in the form of project to these issues.
She said that they can use artificial intelligence, sensors and block chain for addressing production, shortage of raw material and marketing of saffron.
Dr Gautam Goswami, TIFAC, DST told Kashmir Reader that FIFAC works for developing future technology.
” We want to develop a project to demonstrate how advanced technology can be used for increasing production and addressing marketening issues,” he said.
Irshad Ahmad Dar, progressive farmer and kisan board member, told Kashmir Reader that they highlighted a number of problems faced by farmers.
” There is a problem of irrigation and depletion of corms,” he said, adding that new technology should help in solving these issues.

BILAL HABIB