Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Oct 21: The incessant rainfall over the past week, which had caused damage to crops and orchards throughout the Valley, may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for saffron farmers.
This timely rainfall for their crop, in the absence of adequate irrigation facilities, is now seen as a boon by these farmers.
Farmers express optimism that the rainfall arrived at the right moment, following a prolonged dry spell in the Valley, and is likely to result in a good crop.
They said that it not only gives the soil the necessary moisture but also makes up for the Government’s inability to finish irrigation projects. “I am confident that this rainfall will prove beneficial for our crops, leading to a good harvest this year,” Abdul Majeed, a saffron grower, said. He did, however, voice concern that farmers are becoming anxious as a result of the temperature dip, which has delayed flowering.
The farmers demanded that the Government finish the irrigation facilities because they believed it would have a long-term impact on their crop and revolutionize the saffron industry.
“Hopefully, the irrigation system will be finished by the upcoming season. This year’s long dry period has had a negative impact on saffron growth,” Ali Mohammad, a saffron grower, said.
The irrigation system, being set up under the ambitious National Saffron Mission, involves installing sprinklers and water delivery pipelines in order to ease the region’s drought problems. Over the past 12 years, the government has dug more than 100 bore wells for the irrigation of saffron fields, but the majority of them are still not functional. The Central Government announced a Rs 500 crore ‘National Saffron Mission’ in 2010 with the goal of expanding saffron farming regions and increasing saffron production.
Choudary Iqbal, the Director of Agriculture, expressed optimism regarding the impact of the recent rainfall on saffron crops. He said that the rain would compensate for soil moisture loss due to evaporation and expected a favorable harvest this year.
“The last few seasons have been good, and we are expecting a bumper crop this year as well. The farmers are also excited this year, based on the feedback I head on my field tour,” he said.
Regarding concerns about delayed flowering affecting production, he said: “If the temperature remains favorable in the next twenty days, it should not have a significant impact, as some areas are already witnessing flowering.”
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