Status Note on Development of Saffron in UT of J&K.

National Mission on Saffron

• Recent history has shown a decline in the area under cultivation of saffron in Kashmir. The area under Saffron cultivation declined from 5707 hectares in 1996-97 to 3785 hectares in 2010-11. The decline in area was mainly attributed to low benefit cost ratio due to intensive and expensive cost of cultivation, low productivity (1.88 Kg/ ha), Orthodox cultivations methods coupled with various biotic and abiotic stresses, poor plant stand, change in weather pattern resulted in moisture stress at the terminal growth stages were the main factors responsible for decline in crop yields which evaded interests of farming community to pursue saffron cultivation.
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