Says govt actively working on addressing issues like irrigation

Pampore: Director Agriculture Kashmir Mohammad Iqbal Chowdhury on Tuesday visited the Saffron fields of Pampore area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
During the visit, Director Agriculture Kashmir interacted with farmers and their families who were engaged in picking the Saffron flowers.
Director Agriculture Kashmir also interacted with Tourists from various states of the country in the Saffron fields of Pampore. The growers told him that after several years they observed increased production this year.
The Director Agriculture expressed optimism regarding this year’s saffron crop, highlighting its overall quality. He assured saffron farmers of unwavering support, emphasizing a commitment to providing assistance and resources for a successful harvest.
Speaking to Kashmir Reader, Director Agriculture said, “This year marks a significant return of a heritage crop after many years. The purpose of bringing Saffron back to the Karewas today is to be present in the Saffron fields continuously from the early stages when the Saffron saffron flowers begin to bloom.”
This year, the specific occurrences of snowfall three times in the upper reaches and rainfall in the lower reaches during October have resulted in a slight delay in the blooming of our Saffron flowers, he said, adding that farmers were anxious, fearing that this might impact a favourable production outcome for the year.
“However, thanks to Allah, this year’s abundant rainfall has prolonged the blooming period of Saffron flowers. Typically lasting 15 to 20 days, unlike previous years, the corms in the soil, present for many seasons, have contributed to a substantial and favourable production outcome for our farmers,” he said.
Iqbal said that farmers who effectively engaged in intercultural practices and utilized the reservoir of rainfall provided by nature have successfully harvested saffron flowers 5 to 7 times from their fields. Currently, Saffron growers continue the harvesting process, and thanks to Allah, after many years, this season has witnessed a fruitful saffron flower harvest, he said.
He added, “We are making efforts to identify the necessary interventions for farmers to enhance the productivity of saffron crops. The UT Jammu and Kashmir government is actively working on addressing issues such as irrigation problems and providing timely awareness to farmers on various aspects.”
Iqbal Chowdhury said that the Chief Secretary recently conducted a review meeting in Pulwama, providing us with specific instructions, especially regarding irrigation. Following that, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir personally reviewed the matter, emphasizing that pending irrigation work under the Mechanical Engineering Department or the Planning and Marketing Department’s engineering division should be promptly completed.
“Insha Allah, we are planning to issue a continuous 12-month schedule starting this January, ensuring our farmers face no difficulties in the upcoming times,” he said, adding, “The ultimate goal is to enable our farmer brethren to reap maximum benefits from our heritage crop, Saffron, in these fields.”

BILAL HABIB