Speed-up saffron sale at IIKSTC: Growers urge agri deptt

Pulwama, July 08 : Saffron growers from different areas of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district have urged authorities of Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Kashmir for speeding up sale of dry saffron at IIKSTC ( India International Kashmir Saffron Trade Centre).
They added that the sale of dry saffron at IIKSTC is moving at a slow pace due to which many farmers have been waiting for their turn since November of last year.
Abdul Aziz Sofi, a saffron grower from Lethpora village of Pulwama district, told Rising Kashmir that he deposited his saffron at the facility for sale in November, 2022 and since then he has been waiting for its auction.
He said that he figures at serial number 137.
The farmer informed that he enquired multiple times about the fate of his deposited saffron from authorities of IIKSTC.
“ Each time I was assured that it would be sold in a couple of weeks,” he said, adding that till date his dry saffron remains unsold.
Aziz lamented that this year the sales are moving very slowly due to which many farmers like him suffer .
Another saffron grower and member of Kisan Advisory Board, Irshad Ahmad Dar, from Patalbagh village of Pulwama, said that he has deposited around half kilogram of dry saffron at IIKSTC in November of 2022 which remains unsold till date. Irshad’s number figures at serial 113 for the auction of dry saffron. He said that he raised this issue with higher authorities of the agriculture department who assured him that the saffron at IIKSTC will be sold soon but many farmers like him are still waiting for their produce to get auctioned.
Farooq Ahmad Dar, another saffron grower from Samboora, said that he raised this issue with higher authorities along with other concerns of saffron growers. He opined that authorities at IIKSTC should invite local firms for the auction.
Mudasir Amin, Nodal Officer, IIKSTC advised farmers to bring the complaint before him so that he will take it with authorities for redressal.
Joint Director Agriculture (extension) Ghulam Mohammad Dhobi, said that they need big orders to sell the bulk quantity of dry saffron at IIKSTC.
He added that so far they have been getting orders for small quantities.
“ The farmers need not to panic as they are assured double the rate than that prevailing in the open market,” he said.
He said that they held a buyer-seller meet a month ago in which international buyers were invited among others for purchase of saffron.
He added that there is a lot of competition at international level and the department is trying their best to help farmers in this matter.