Timely rainfall and favourable weather have boosted saffron cultivation in the Pampore area of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir.
While speaking to ANI, Mohamad Iqbal Chowdry, Director of Department of Agriculture, said, "Saffron cultivation has an old history of 500 years. This year, in the starting of Rabi season, due to good rainfall, the moisture reached to the root level which helped the cultivation."
He added, "We have India International Kashmir Saffron Trading Center, in which the saffron farmers have been given various facilities. Lab helped to sell saffron at Rs 1,75,000 to Rs 2,28,000 per kg."
Zahid Bashir, a saffron farmer, said, "In comparison with last year, this year the cultivation has been good. From 21 October to 21 November, the process is for one month. The weather is very good. The soil was wet so the cultivation was good."
Junaid, another saffron farmer, said, "The demand for saffron is very high. It's a very expensive ingredient. Pampore is known as 'Saffron City. We have a family business of saffron. Saffron has medical values too. It is used even in cosmetics."
( With inputs from ANI )
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