SRINAGAR: Refuting the rumours of taxing saffron crop, Director Agriculture Kashmir has termed it as baseless and figment of imagination.
He said that during the current year about Rs 100 crore were being spent for the revival of saffron and providing of irrigation facilities to the saffron areas which so far has been a rain fed crop.
He said the reports about taxing saffron are being spread by the vested interests with ulterior motives to discourage the farmers to revive the saffron cultivation in the traditional areas of Pampore and adjoining areas in south Kashmir district of Pulwama.
He has said under National Mission on Saffron (NSM), saffron cultivation is revived over 3,700 hectares of land by planting quality and healthy saffron corms of appropriate.
This, he said, will help to enhance the productivity from 2.5 Kg per hectare to 5 to 6 Kg per hectare and for making the mission a success, ban has been imposed on the conversion of saffron land for purposes, other than saffron cultivation.
He has further said the overwhelming response of the saffron growers to the mission has frustrated the nefarious designs of land mafia who want to use the saffron land for non-agricultural activities.
He advised the farmers to remain cautious and do not fall a prey to the ill designs of rumour mongers, instead cooperate with the Department of Agriculture and state agriculture university in implementing the NMS in letter and spirit for their economic uplift.
