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Saturday, June 22, 2013

Kesar-Saffron cultivation in Gujarat

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Anand Agricultural University (AAU) has successfully grown saffron under controlled conditions and claims that the most expensive herb in the world could be grown in the fields of the north Gujarat region having favourable climatic conditions for its farming.

The university began its cultivation a year ago with saplings having been brought from  Kashmir valley, the only region where saffron is grown in India.

AAU's biotechnology department head R S Phogat, who carried out the cultivation at university's

Speaking to The Indian Express, he said the saffron produced at the university's farm at Anand in controlled environment was found to be as good as that of Kashmir, including the chemical content. He said all the plants at the university's farm gave flowers at par with those in Kashmir and female part of the flower called "stigma" used as commercial product was similar to the one produced in Kashmir.

Stating that the saffron plants can be grown in green houses as well by maintaining the required temperature and providing direct sunlight, he said the climatic condition of the north Gujarat districts of Patan, Mehsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Gandhinagar during the period of saffron cultivation — August to November — were very favourable for saffron farming.

He said the herb, which was used as a natural ingredients in preparing food and drinks, could bring good returns to the farmers because of its high cost in the market, which was approximately Rs 2.5 lakh per kg.farm in Anand, says the saffron can be grown north Gujarat region having temperature of 20-22 degrees and minimum humidity required for flowering of saffron plants in October-November.

Buy Saffron corms at : http://jkmpic.blogspot.com
See more at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/aau-breaks-new-ground-grows-saffron-at-varsity-farms/1091788/#sthash.xr2kwzGS.dpuf
The university began its cultivation a year ago with saplings having been brought from Badgam district in Kashmir valley, the only region where saffron is grown in India.
AAU's biotechnology department head R S Phogat, who carried out the cultivation at university's farm in Anand, says the saffron can be grown north Gujarat region having temperature of 20-22 degrees and minimum humidity required for flowering of saffron plants in October-November.
Speaking to The Indian Express, he said the saffron produced at the university's farm at Anand in controlled environment was found to be as good as that of Kashmir, including the chemical content. He said all the plants at the university's farm gave flowers at par with those in Kashmir and female part of the flower called "stigma" used as commercial product was similar to the one produced in Kashmir.
Stating that the saffron plants can be grown in green houses as well by maintaining the required temperature and providing direct sunlight, he said the climatic condition of the north Gujarat districts of Patan, Mehsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Gandhinagar during the period of saffron cultivation — August to November — were very favourable for saffron farming.
He said the herb, which was used as a natural ingredients in preparing food and drinks, could bring good returns to the farmers because of its high cost in the market, which was approximately Rs 2.5 lakh per kg.
- See more at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/aau-breaks-new-ground-grows-saffron-at-varsity-farms/1091788/#sthash.xr2kwzGS.dpuf
Anand Agricultural University (AAU) has successfully grown saffron under controlled conditions and claims that the most expensive herb in the world could be grown in the fields of the north Gujarat region having favourable climatic conditions for its farming.
The university began its cultivation a year ago with saplings having been brought from Badgam district in Kashmir valley, the only region where saffron is grown in India.
AAU's biotechnology department head R S Phogat, who carried out the cultivation at university's farm in Anand, says the saffron can be grown north Gujarat region having temperature of 20-22 degrees and minimum humidity required for flowering of saffron plants in October-November.
Speaking to The Indian Express, he said the saffron produced at the university's farm at Anand in controlled environment was found to be as good as that of Kashmir, including the chemical content. He said all the plants at the university's farm gave flowers at par with those in Kashmir and female part of the flower called "stigma" used as commercial product was similar to the one produced in Kashmir.
Stating that the saffron plants can be grown in green houses as well by maintaining the required temperature and providing direct sunlight, he said the climatic condition of the north Gujarat districts of Patan, Mehsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Gandhinagar during the period of saffron cultivation — August to November — were very favourable for saffron farming.
He said the herb, which was used as a natural ingredients in preparing food and drinks, could bring good returns to the farmers because of its high cost in the market, which was approximately Rs 2.5 lakh per kg.
- See more at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/aau-breaks-new-ground-grows-saffron-at-varsity-farms/1091788/#sthash.xr2kwzGS.dpuf
he university began its cultivation a year ago with saplings having been brought from Badgam district in Kashmir valley, the only region where saffron is grown in India.
AAU's biotechnology department head R S Phogat, who carried out the cultivation at university's farm in Anand, says the saffron can be grown north Gujarat region having temperature of 20-22 degrees and minimum humidity required for flowering of saffron plants in October-November.
Speaking to The Indian Express, he said the saffron produced at the university's farm at Anand in controlled environment was found to be as good as that of Kashmir, including the chemical content. He said all the plants at the university's farm gave flowers at par with those in Kashmir and female part of the flower called "stigma" used as commercial product was similar to the one produced in Kashmir.
Stating that the saffron plants can be grown in green houses as well by maintaining the required temperature and providing direct sunlight, he said the climatic condition of the north Gujarat districts of Patan, Mehsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Gandhinagar during the period of saffron cultivation — August to November — were very favourable for saffron farming.
He said the herb, which was used as a natural ingredients in preparing food and drinks, could bring good returns to the farmers because of its high cost in the market, which was approximately Rs 2.5 lakh per kg.
- See more at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/aau-breaks-new-ground-grows-saffron-at-varsity-farms/1091788/#sthash.xr2kwzGS.dpuf

J&K serves notices on Army, BSF, for defacing Srinagar hill range

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Srinagar: Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Shri Shailendra Kumar has served notices on the Army, the Border Security Force (BSF) and even the Jammu and Kashmir Police, asking each to explain reasons as to why they had committed ecological vandalism, with the massive defacement of a hill range overlooking the capital city.

Authoritative sources revealed to The Hindu that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had pulled up senior officials and bureaucrats over turning a blind eye to the large-scale defacement of a barren hill range from Sonwar to Zewan by the police and security forces.

The boldly laid slogan “Ajeet hain, abheet hain [we are victorious, we are invincible],” directly facing a civilian population of two million, sources said, was termed “most disgusting” by the Chief Minister.

“They need to address it to the Chinese Army, not their own people,” the Chief Minister is said to have said at an official meeting. He was not available by telephone for confirmation. Bureaucratic sources, however, confirmed that Kashmir’s Divisional Commissioner Shailendar Kumar had served the notices separately to the Army, the BSF and the Police on the Chief Minister’s direction.

Politicians as well as officials were reportedly in unison that the slogans imposed with painted stones over furlongs of the lofty hills were not only an act of “ecological vandalism,” and banned by the Supreme Court of India, but also suggestive of “conquering the country’s own citizens.”

Sources said that a notice, directly served on Headquarters, 15 Corps, asked the Army to immediately restore virginity to the hill. Identical directions under different laws have been reportedly communicated to the BSF and J&K Police.

A senior police officer is said to have resisted dismantling of a building housing the Shergarhi police station and threatened the government through a senior bureaucrat. The officer had reportedly said that “machine guns would roar” if authorities proceeded with the demolition.

The Chief Minister, however, put his foot down and got the station demolished by the Economic and Reconstruction Authority (ERA) within a day.

He alleged that different agencies and bureaucrats had been creating roadblocks in the construction of an ambitious flyover between Jehangir Chowk and Rambagh.

All Deputy Commissioners have been directed to take inventories of government lands occupied or encroached upon by the police.

Friday, June 21, 2013

National Saffron Mission to Revive Kashmir Saffron

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Kashmir has the proud privilege of producing the finest quality saffron, which is famous for its colour and flavour all over the world. The Central Government launched the National Saffron Mission (NMS) in November 2010 after the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh announced it during his visit to Kashmir earlier in the year.

In Kashmir valley, 90 percent of saffron production comes from Pampore uplands, locally called ‘wudar’ on the southern outskirts of Srinagar city. As elsewhere in the world, saffron is grown here too by small individual farmers and the traditional quality control methods are the only way to maintain the quality and the originality of the world’s costliest spice. Saffron which is considered as nature’s precious wonder gift to mankind is in great demand for its medicinal, cosmetic and aromatic properties. It grows from a very small plant botanically known as Crocus Sativus. Its purple coloured flower is the only part mostly seen above the ground. The blossoms appear during late autumn (mid-October to early November) and present a very fascinating memorable sight in moonlight particularly on ‘Kartik Purnima’. The aromatic reddish stigmas of these flowers are harvested which form the most expensive part of the colourful spice called ‘Mongra’. The remaining stalks are also processed to get inferior grade of saffron called ‘Lacha’.

There has been a drop in saffron cultivation area as well as in production yields. The official production figures show that saffron area has gone down from about 5,700 hectares to just around 3,800 hectares and the productivity too has dipped from 3.13 kg per hectare to 2.50 kg per hectare in the last few years. Officials say that “mindless and unplanned” construction of residential houses in the midst of saffron fields during the last two decades is one of the major causes for shrinking of acreage.

Other reasons that threaten the costliest cash crop of the state, according to experts, are the lack of irrigation facilities, poor techniques adopted by the growers and lack of post harvest management that have led to low productivity and poor quality. Moreover, a commission appointed by the Government pointed out that there has been a shortfall in the replacement of Saffron  seed for the last twenty years partly due to neglect in improving the seed quality.

A multi-crore industry engaged in production of eatable colour dyes, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and other uses depends on Kashmir Saffron. However, due to its shortfall in production, the industry looked other wards to meet its raw material requirements. The dwindling domestic production has led to demand outstripping the supply and thus spurting the prices, making saffron smuggling a lucerative business. It is reported that the Iranian saffron fetches double its price in India. Expressing concern over the smuggling of Iranian saffron Union Agriculture Secretary, Shri A. K. Basu conceded that ‘’while this was happening no one paid any great attention to the problem or failed to address it.’’ He said that National Saffron Mission would wipe out many aspects of the problem.

The 371.18 crore rupees National Saffron Mission Programme with 286.06 crore rupees as the Central Government’s share and 85.12 crore rupees as farmers’ share will be executed in four years to revive saffron production in Jammu and Kashmir. The mission would cover drip irrigation, research, mechanization, processing and marketing support to ease the crisis. An amount of Rs. 39.43 crore is being utilized during the current financial year. Jammu & Kashmir Minister for Agriculture, Shri Ghulam Hassan Mir said ‘’the objective of the Saffron National Mission is to improve the overall production of saffron, enhancing quality of saffron, enhancement of research and extension capability and develop appropriate system for organized marketing for the growers’’. The Minister said that the main objective of the scheme is to extend support for creation of irrigation facilities through tube wells and sprinklers, which would help better crop production in the area.

In order to provide improved irrigation facilities to the saffron growers 253 tube wells would be set up under the NSM in the state, with each tube well having a potential to irrigate 30 hectares. Of them 128 tube wells would be in Pulwama and 106 in Budgam districts. Fifty-three tube wells would be bored during the current financial year. At the same time, it is proposed to strengthen the existing Lathipora lift irrigation scheme on the river Jehlum adjacent to Pampore fields to create a permanent water source for saffron areas. The saffron mission also envisages to make available over 3,700 sprinkler sets to the farmers with 50 percent subsidy over an estimated cost of Rs 5000 per set.

The mission also proposes to introduce mechanization techniques by procuring costly machines for use by farmers through the Agriculture Department for digging of fields and plantation of saffron corms. This would increase profitability of saffron growers by reducing the production costs. Each year 125 dryers are also planned for distribution among farmers for drying and seasoning of the harvested crop.

The NSM also seeks to develop appropriate systems for organized marketing, quality-based pricing of saffron and for formulating direct transactions between growers, traders, exporters and industrial agencies. National Spot Exchange would establish a Quality Control Lab at Pampore at a cost of Rs 8.90 crore to ensure quality testing and marketing of the saffron. There is also a proposal to set up a Spice Park for which a site has been identified at Pampore. Its purpose is to promote direct transactions between growers, traders, exporters and industrial agencies by developing organized marketing with quality based pricing of Saffron. It is expected that after completion of the National Saffron Mission the state’s income from saffron production would increase from the present Rs. 236.55 crore to Rs.4,642.50 crore, said the state Agriculture Minister.The saffron farmers and their association have received well the National Saffron Mission and have started registering farmers groups as societies. ‘’We really require this Mission and if it is implemented, the growers will be benefited,” said Raja Mushtaq, a saffron grower. They expect that the mission would go a long way in improving production and productivity and bringing in consistency in processing and marketing. “The saffron mission will go a long way in helping farmers enhance quality and productivity of Saffron,” said Seed Pathologist Farooq Ahamd Mandoo.

The Central Government expects to turn the corner in the next two years and restore the prestige and credibility of Kashmir saffron which the Union Agriculture Secretary described as a ‘’heritage issue and linked to very ethos of Kashmir.’’ (PIB Features)


Freelance Writer
Disclaimer : The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of PIB.  



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

भूमि माफिया से खतरा राष्ट्रीय केसर मिशन: श्री चुन्नी लाल


भूमि माफिया से खतरा राष्ट्रीय केसर मिशन: श्री चुन्नी लालपंपोर, पंपोर और आसपास के क्षेत्रों में राष्ट्रीय केसर मिशन भूमि माफिया से खतरा है. हाल ही में कृषि विस्तार अधिकारी (AEO) जोन पंपोर 

श्री चुन्नी लाल क्षेत्र में भगवा भूमि के अवैध उत्खनन को रोकने के लिए उससे पूछ, तहसीलदार पंपोर को एक पत्र लिखा था. "कृषि विभाग Lethpora के क्षेत्र एजेंसी Chandhara से कुछ व्यक्तियों द्वारा पृथ्वी खुदाई भगवा देश के लिए खतरा है कि सूचना नहीं दी है. हमारे विभाग के जिला अधिकारियों के नाम / विवरण और शामिल उत्खनन के अन्य लोगों की मृत्यु के साथ खुदाई की जा रही भूमि के राजस्व जानकारी पता करने के इच्छुक हैं, "पत्र, ग्रेटर कश्मीर के साथ झूठ बोल रही है जो की एक प्रति राज्यों. 

कृषि अधिकारी भी राष्ट्रीय केसर मिशन पर खुदाई के प्रभाव को लेकर आशंका व्यक्त की है.Karewas नई कालोनियों आ रहे हैं जहां श्रीनगर शहर के बाहरी इलाके में दलदल भूमि को भरने के लिए विभिन्न स्थानों पर खुदाई की मिट्टी की तस्करी के लिए लगाया जा रहा है.

                   Agriculture For The Future 
Sheikh GULZAAR
Head, Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre
POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR JK 190001
(Plant Introduction Centre's ) Phalgham, Sonamarag, Naranag, Gulmarag & Kishtwar) 
(Member : Organic Farming Association of India)
Address: "Ginkgo House" Nambalbal, (Via Wuyan-Meej Road), Pampore PPR JK 192121
Ph: 09858986794,01933-223705
e-mail: jkmpic@gmail.com
home: http://jkmpic.blogspot.com
 

National Saffron Mission under threat from land mafia : Shri Chuni Lal

AEO, Chuni Lal
Pampore , National Saffron Mission in Pampore and adjoining areas is under threat from land mafia. Recently Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) Zone Pampore Shri Chuni Lal wrote a letter to Tehsildar Pampore, asking him to stop the illegal excavation of saffron land in the area. “The field agency of Agriculture Department Lethpora has reported that the earth excavation by some persons from Chandhara is posing threat to saffron land. The district officers of our department are desirous to know the revenue details of land being excavated with name/particulars and other deaths of excavators involved,” states the letter, a copy of which is lying with Greater Kashmir.

The Agriculture Officer also expressed apprehension over the impact of excavation on National Saffron Mission.

Karewas are being leveled to smuggle the excavated soil to different places for filling up marsh land in the outskirts of Srinagar city where new colonies are coming up.
 
“Actually Revenue officials are hand in glove with the land mafia. They (land mafia) are leveling these Karewas for various reasons. One factor is that they save transportation charges which they would have had to pay if they would have to get the soil from 6, 7 kms away. Every day hundreds of tippers ferry soil from, Chandhara, Dusoo, Pampore and Lethpora,” said Muhammad Yousuf Malik, a member of local social welfare organisation Pampore which is one of the organizations spearheading the campaign to stop illegal extraction of land.

Fed up with the inaction of the local Revenue officials, locals had approached Divisional Commissioner Kashmir on May 2. “He gave a patient hearing to us and promised to take necessary action against land mafia of Pampore who have leveled miles of Karewas by their huge earthmovers. Next day the Additional Divisional Commissioner (ADC) Kashmir,  came to the town to have on spot assessment of the sites where illegal excavation of saffron soil was being done,” Ghulam Nabi Sheikh said.

But locals complained that ADC “was not taken to the major sites like Samboora and actual sites at Chandhara where, where from saffron soil is supplied for different projects, particularly for the four-lane highway project.”

Chairman of the Legal Cell Pampore, Bashir Ahmed said that they have been fighting for the status quo of the saffron land from long time, “actually it is nexuses between administration and contractors. We have been fighting for a long time to save the land. There are clear directions from court and various laws are also there to save the land. But ultimately these need to be implemented.”

When contacted Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama, he said, “This has not come in my knowledge. I will look into the matter.”


                   Agriculture For The Future 
Sheikh GULZAAR
Head, Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre
POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR JK 190001

(Plant Introduction Centre's ) Phalgham, Sonamarag, Naranag, Gulmarag & Kishtwar) 
(Member : Organic Farming Association of India)
Address: "Ginkgo House" Nambalbal, (Via Wuyan-Meej Road), Pampore PPR JK 192121
Ph: 09858986794,01933-223705
e-mail: jkmpic@gmail.com
home: http://jkmpic.blogspot.com