SAFFRON
- AGRICULTURE
News: 'Red gold': Why saffron production
is dwindling in India
What's
in the news?
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As well as a spectacular location, Pampore
is India's centre for saffron - a spice so valuable that it is sometimes called
red gold.
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Derived from the crocus plant, saffron
fetches around $1,500 (£1,200) per kilo.
Saffron:
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Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as
the “saffron crocus”.
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It has long been the world’s costliest spice by weight.
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It is believed that saffron cultivation
was introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around the 1st Century
BCE.
Cultivated
areas:
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Its production has long been restricted to
a limited geographical area in the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
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It has now been extended to the
North-eastern states like Arunachal
Pradesh and Meghalaya under the Saffron Bowl project.
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Pampore
region, in India, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron
production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtwar districts.
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It has traditionally been associated with
the famous Kashmiri cuisine and has medicinal values.
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Kashmir
saffron got Geographical Indication (GI) tag status.
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Pampore Saffron Heritage of Kashmir is one
of the Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage systems (GIAHS) recognised sites in India.
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Iran
is the world’s leading producer of saffron, followed by Spain and India.
Season:
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In India, saffron Corms (seeds) are
cultivated during the months of June and July and at some places in August and
September.
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It starts flowering in October.
Conditions:
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Altitude:
Saffron grows well at an altitude of 2000
meters above sea level. It needs a photoperiod (sunlight) of 12 hours.
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Soil:
It grows in many different soil types but thrives best in calcareous (soil that has calcium carbonate in abundance),
humus-rich and well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 8.
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Climate:
For saffron cultivation, we need an explicit climatological summer and winter
with temperatures ranging from no more than 35 or 40degree Celsius in summer to
about –15 or –20 degree Celsius in winter.
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Rainfall:
It also requires adequate rainfall that is 1000-1500 mm per annum.
Government
initiatives:
1.
National Saffron Mission:
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The National Saffron Mission was
sanctioned by the central government in the year 2010 in order to extend
support for creation of irrigation facilities through tube wells and sprinkler
sets which would help in production of better crops in the area of saffron
production.
2.
Saffron Bowl Project:
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North
East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR)
under Saffron Bowl project has identified few locations in Arunachal Pradesh
and Meghalaya for saffron cultivation.
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In Arunachal Pradesh, there is a good
growth of organic saffron with flowers.
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In Meghalaya, sample plantations were
grown at Cherrapunji, Mawsmai and Lalingtop sites.
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The total cost of the whole project is Rs.
17.68 lakhs for Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Out of which, a tentative
amount of Rs.6.00 lakhs has been earmarked for Barapani (Meghalaya) site.
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The following sites have been identified
in Meghalaya under the said project: Barapani, Cherrapunji, Mawsmai, Shillong,
and Lalingtop.