Saffron grower from Pampore thanks PM Modi for farmers’ welfare initiatives

Geographical Indication (GI) tagging and Spice Park at Pampore are a game-changer for the Saffron grower of the area

Abdul Majeed Wani, a Saffron grower from the Pampore area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for farmers’ welfare initiatives and schemes like PM-KISAN for helping to increase farmers’ income.

 
He was participating in the interactive program along with farmers from several States and UTs via video-conferencing, with the Prime Minister during the release of 9th installment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.
 
In his speech, the Prime Minister said that the government has now decided that Saffron of Kashmir will be available at ‘NAFED’ shops across the country and said that the initiative will give a lot of impetus to the cultivation of saffron in Jammu and Kashmir.
 
After interaction with PM, Mr Wani said, PM’s dream of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 has been realized in Kashmir first where Saffron farmers from Pampore are reaping the benefits of the government’s farmer welfare schemes.
 
He said, earlier, a Saffron grower used to fetch 90 thousand to one lakh ten thousand rupees per Kilogram and now the price for the same quantity has gone up to two lakh twenty five thousand rupees, thus doubling farmers income which is the dream of our PM sahib and said that in Pampore, the target of doubling farmers’ income has been achieved a year before the target of year 2022.
 
Mr Wani, who is growing Saffron for the past 30 years on his land measuring 40 Kanals, said that Saffron cultivation was dwindling due to little marketing and authentication issues.
 
Calling the government’s initiatives like, he said, the India International Kashmir Saffron Trading Centre (IIKSTC) provided an e-auction for the Saffron growers and fetching them double the prices for their crop.
 
He believed that by establishing the Spice Park, e-auction was done to market Kashmiri Saffron while the GI Tagging provided an authentication certificate to the crop at national and international market where customers buy genuine Saffron instead of fake brands sold in the name of Kashmiri Saffron.
 
He said that the Saffron cultivation faced a hitch, but due to the government’s timely intervention through National Saffron Mission (NSM), its revival is back on course.
 
He also expressed gratitude to PM Modi for announcing the availability of Kashmiri Saffron at ‘NAFED’ shops across the country saying such initiatives will further provide boost to the world’s precious spice with respect to its marketing.