J&K LG Manoj Sinha e-inaugurates 'Jashn-e-Zafraan'

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha e-inaugurated the “Jashn-e-Zafraan”, Harvesting Saffron in presence of Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Kailash Choudhury yesterday. 

Speaking on the occasion, Lieutenant Governor said that it is due to farmer-centric policies of the government that the income of the Saffron farmers in Jammu and Kashmir has doubled in 2021, a year before the deadline. He said that the recent data of the National Statistical Survey shows that after Meghalaya, Punjab, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh, the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir have the highest monthly income of 18,918 rupees, way above the national average of 10,218 rupees.

The Lt Governor expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for systematically improving the entire chain from farm to retail marketing, bringing a huge change in the lives of farmers from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He noted that in 2016, Prime Minister had started a revolutionary change in agriculture and horticulture and because of various interventions by Prime Minister, today the income of J&K farmers is at the fifth position in the whole country



and 46% higher than the national average.

The Lt Governor said that the increase in saffron production from 2.5 Kg per hectare to 5 kg per hectare will motivate farmers of other agriculture and allied sectors to increase their production taking maximum benefit of various agriculture development schemes of the Central and Union Territory government.

Mr Sinha said that after the tireless efforts of the central government last year, Saffron got the Geographical Indication Tag and paved way for it to become a powerful brand in the international market.

The Lt Governor also said that the cultivation of Saffron cannot be imagined without J&K’s Nari Shakti and our mothers and sisters have always played a significant role in the growth of Saffron production in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Union Minister Kailash Choudhary, on the occasion, said that under the vision of Prime Minister Modi, Saffron of Jammu Kashmir would reach every corner of the world. He stressed on the use of quality seed, cold storage facilities and best marketing linkages facilities provided by the government.