Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 12: To review the progress of rejuvenation of Saffron corms under National Saffron Mission (NSM), a meeting of Agriculture Department, prospective growers and Sarpanchs was held at Pampore today under the chairmanship of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Bhat, Nodal officer National Saffron Mission, district Pulwama.
The meeting while assessing the reasons for delay in rejuvenation of Saffron corms this year said that heavy rains earlier coupled with availability of under size corms and non availability of labour has been the main cause for it.
The meeting was informed that instead of a target of 12,00 hectares of land to be taken for rejuvenation of Saffron corms only in 150 hectares of land corms were planted so far. With the delay the department can plant the corms only up to 500 hectares this season.
It said that the district Pulwama was distributed into 18 circles under NSM to fulfill the target. The Mission was started in 2011-12 under Government of India Scheme and under the mission per farmer is provided an assistance of Rs 25,305 for plantation of corm per kanal of land. Besides he is also provided fertilizers including urea, DAP, potash, Aluminium phosphate, fungicides etc free of cost.
Under the NSM 106 tube wells at an estimated cost of Rs 84 crore are to be dug for providing irrigation facilities to land and so far the Department has dug 60 tubewells under the Mission.
The meeting among others was attended by Javed Iqbal Lone, District Agriculture Officer Pulwama, C L Bhat AEO, general secretary Javed Ahmed Ganai Saffron Growers Association, Panchs and Sarpanchs of the area.
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