Dry weather: Agri deptt outlines irrigational protocol for Saffron cultivation

Pulwama, Sept 05: Department of Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Kashmir has outlined an irrigational protocol for saffron land in view of prevailing dry weather conditions.
Talking to media here in Pampore saffron fields of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Director Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Kashmir, Chowdhury Muhammad Iqbal, said that September irrigation is very important for saffron.
He said that for the past two days they have been meeting farmers to see how they can facilitate them with irrigation water for saffron land in case rains are further delayed.
“We have defined an irrigational protocol for saffron land and accordingly during the first phase we will be operating 22 deep bore wells for irrigation,” he said, adding that under National Saffron Mission 121 deep bore wells were to be dug.
The Director informed that the Mechanical Engineering Department handed over 73 bore wells in three districts during the past three years.
“These 73 bore wells are in working condition,” he said, adding that for other bore wells they require batteries to make them operational.
He said that the issue of battery requirement for the bore wells has been taken up with the Government of India.
“ The bore wells which are functional need to be operationalised because saffron crop is in a critical stage of growth at this period of time,” he said, adding that the facility has been created for use in dry weather conditions.
He added that they have defined a phase wise irrigation protocol for saffron land and that saffron land should get irrigated in case it doesn’t rain in the coming days.
Farooq Ahmad Dar, a representative of Saffron Growers Association Kashmir, said that saffron corms require moisture for root growth from 15th to 20th September.
He said that dry weather conditions cause stress in saffron corms affecting their production.
“ We met Director Agriculture Kashmir here in Pampore and requested him for operationalising the bore wells in case dry weather conditions prevail,” he said, adding that they were assured by the Director that functional bore wells will be operationalised within a couple of days.