Chief Secretary, B R Sharma and Union Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry Tuesday co-chaired the maiden meeting of the Saffron Production and Export Development Agency (SPEDA).To plan and support specific programmes for development and promotion of exports of quality saffron from the State of Jammu and Kashmir including the activities aimed at provision of infrastructure, quality upgradation and research in coordination with private and public agencies, the Spice Board under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has constituted a Committee to be known as SPEDA.Financial Commissioner, Agricultural Production Department, Mr Promod Jain, Financial Commissioner, Planning Development & Monitoring Department, Mr. B B Vyas and other senior officers besides progressive Saffron farmers, Saffron exporters and Saffron traders were present in the meeting.
The Union Commerce Secretary gave a detailed presentation on the constitution, mandate and potential of SPEDA-constituted under the Spice Board Act 1986. While outlining the activities of Spice Board, the Union Secretary informed a ground study was conducted during 2015 in Saffron growing areas. He informed that a special package for the development of Saffron with an outlay of Rs 329.39 Cr to be implemented for a period of 5 years has been submitted to Union Ministry of Agriculture through Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry for approval. The package is expected to be approved for implementation only after the extended National Saffron Mission ends by March 2018, he added.During the meeting detailed deliberations were held on the achievements of the National Saffron Mission and various decisions were taken on how Saffron production can be further enhanced, area under Saffron expanded, Kashmiri Saffron certified and branded to prevent counterfeit Saffron being sold in the name of Kashmiri Saffron.