With the start of the saffron harvesting season, the meadows of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pampore are in saffron bloom. An Advanced Research Station for Saffron and Seed Spices, established under the ‘Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) of Kashmir, is playing a vital role in the promotion of Kashmir’s saffron.
Kashmir’s saffron is famous all over the world for its superior quality and it is considered the expensive spice crop in the international market. On the role of technology in saffron cultivation, Ananiya Bhattacharyya, a researcher at SKUAST, said modern technology has a very important role to play in the cultivation and promotion of saffron. Scientists of Sher-e-Kashmir University are also working tirelessly to improve the cultivation and promotion of saffron.
Bashir Ahmad, a saffron grower said, “At Pampore, large-scale plantation is taking place and a lot of people are involved in saffron cultivation. For better results in saffron cultivation, irrigation is a must.”
To facilitate better production and quality of saffron in the Valley, the Jammu & Kashmir administration set up the Advanced Research Station for Saffron and Seed Spices in Pampore’s outskirts, a few years back. The facilities at the unit includes quality check of the seed and soil and a hi-tech dripping system where experiments aimed to promote Saffron crop are being comnducted.
“In this hi-tech research station, experts also brought some imported base material and seeds from specific countries with an aim of differentiating and maintaining the quality of local saffron production,” said Shakir Ahmad, an employee at the research station, said. He said the objective was to improve the production of saffron and help the growers get proper benefits through improved production quality.
Dr Bashir Ahmad, the in-charge of the Saffron Research station, said visit for growers are being planned to the seed research centre to make them aware of new seeds and technologies.
While known for its saffron cultivation, the Pampore area is also an attractive destination for tourists who flock to the place when the valleys are in full saffron bloom. (ANI)
