SRINAGAR: In a major agricultural initiative, the saffron, which is known as red gold, is all set to be cultivated in the cold desert of Ladakh.
Nearly 800 kg of premium Iranian saffron corms, numbering around 90,000, have been planted across nearly 4,000 square metres of land at Command Area Gate No. 27 in Spituk Pharka, Leh.
The land, which remained barren until recently, has been restored and rejuvenated under Project Him Sarovar, an initiative being undertaken under the guidance of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
The pilot saffron cultivation is being undertaken at Command Area Gate No. 27 at Spituk Pharka in Leh.
According to Agriculture experts the pilot plantation is expected to yield a good quantity of saffron.
“For this purpose, high-quality Iranian saffron corms with a circumference of 8 to 10 cm, a diameter of 2.5 to 3 cm or larger, and a weight of 10 grams or more, which are considered the best corms, have been planted. These specifications are considered suitable for high-quality saffron production,” they said.
According to an official spokesman, the initiative is guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of diversifying traditional agricultural practices for financial sustainability and economic empowerment of the farmers and the youth.
The saffron plantation in Ladakh, he said, builds on the administration’s successful experiment with high-value floriculture, particularly the massive cultivation of Lilium and Gladiolus in Leh, that has opened new employment and livelihood opportunities for farmers, Self-Help Groups and other local entrepreneurs.
LG Saxena said the saffron plantation has immense potential to strengthen the local economy by introducing another high-value crop under Ladakh’s unique high-altitude agro-climatic conditions.
This initiative, he said, would also bust the myth that saffron cannot be grown in Ladakh and that the barren or degraded land could not be restored.
“Our endeavour is to transform degraded and barren land into productive assets and create new opportunities for our farmers. The introduction of saffron is another important experiment in crop diversification, which can open a new avenue for enhancing farmers’ incomes through a premium-value crop,” said Saxena.
Saffron is a high-value crop with strong market demand and commands a premium price, offering the potential to provide farmers with an additional and remunerative source of income.
Jammu and Kashmir is the primary region for saffron cultivation in India, accounting for approximately 90 per cent of the country’s total production.
The plantation of saffron in Ladakh has been undertaken as a pilot project to assess the crop’s suitability to the region’s climatic conditions and evaluate its economic potential.
The official spokesman said the saffron plantation site is part of the 800 acres of land being restored in Leh by bringing fresh water from the adjoining Igoo–Phey irrigation canal, which was recently restored and operationalised.
According to officials, unutilised or excess water from the canal is being channelled towards the barren land on directions of LG to increase its moisture content and make it suitable for cultivation.