The state government is bracing up to boost Kashmiri saffron ('Kesar') production with its new export policy, a report says.
The government has shortlisted 60 countries where the demand for Kashmiri saffron is huge
The Department of Agriculture, Kashmir, claims that within the next two months, the new export policy would be implemented and will provide a big boost for the saffron growers of the valley, Wion reports.
Since the last decade, the area under saffron cultivation has shrunk from 5,000 hectares to 4000. And around 90 per cent of the cultivation comes from the Pampore area of Pulwama district. Under the new export policy, the government has identified other districts where the land is suitable for saffron farming.
''The data does show that the saffron cultivation area has shrunk, but what we are doing is slowly expanding in the other areas. We want to secure the heritage crop and make sure to increase the space and identify those areas which have the best climatic conditions for the cultivation of saffron,'' Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, Director, Department of Agriculture, Kashmir, has been quoted as saying by Wion.
The government hopes that with the new export policy, more people would take up saffron cultivation.
Kashmiri saffron is famous across the world and Jammu and Kashmir is the second-largest producer of saffron.
Saffron is used in cosmetics, food, and medicines, and is also used for rituals.