Director Agriculture holds review meeting at IIKSTC Pampore; discusses marketing of GI-tagged saffron, irrigation

PAMPORE: Director Agriculture Kashmir Mohammad Iqbal Chowdhury on Thursday held a review meeting on National Saffron Mission at India International Kashmir Saffron Trade Centre (IIKSTC) Dusso area Pampore in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by Chief Engineer Mechanical Engineering Department, Superintending Engineer MED, Executive Engineer MED, Joint Director Agriculture, Administrative head IIKSTC, Chief Agriculture officer Pulwama, IIKSTC Dusoo officials, SKUAST-Kashmir and other officials from Pulwama, Srinagar and Budgam districts present on the meeting. A number of Saffron growers led by its president Abdul Majeed Wani also present during the meeting.
During the meet, various issues were discussed which include irrigation facility, marketing of GI-tagged Saffron along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and various aspects of Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP).
The saffron growers demanded that they be given permission to welcome Amarnath Yatris by serving them free of cost Saffron Kehwa on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in the Pampore area.
Talking to Kashmir Reader, Director Agriculture said that recently Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo visited IIKSTC and SKAUST-K’s research centre Dusoo Pampore where a deputation of Saffron growers met him and demanded a review meeting for improving saffron farming.
“This is pre-exercise in that direction to get feedback from farmers as to what improvement they want and what further interventions they want,” he said, adding that when saffron was revived one of its main components was irrigation.
He said the job was given to the engineering wing. “Due to some financial crisis, some work is pending as far as irrigation is concerned,” he said, adding that they thoroughly discussed in the review meeting how to provide assured irrigation facilities to farmers.
Iqbal also said that they are preparing a report in this regard for submission before the government. “The department will set a mandi along the national highway for selling Geographical Indication (GI) tagged saffron to yatris and other tourits. The sale outlets will also be set up at yatris and tourist locations along Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Gulmarg routes,” he said, adding that they will set up the mandi before July 1.
The Director Agriculture also revealed that some saffron farmers, FPOs will serve saffron Kehwa to thetourits, yatris along the national highway in the Pampore area on a voluntary basis which is a good thing.
“I will talk to the district administration and request the government for providing them some space,” he said, adding, “Kashmir is known as Jannat and tourists will enjoy the hospitality of local people when they will be served by saffron kehwa.”
Talking to Kashmir Reader President Saffron Growers Association Abdul Majeed Wani said that they discussed many things in the review meeting at IIKSTC. “We are going set up a sale outlet along the national highway for sale of GI tagged Saffron and we want to serve free of cost saffron Kehwa to Amarnath yatris,” he said.

BILAL HABIB