The Director Agriculture Kashmir, Chowdhury Mohammad Iqbal today chaired a meeting of officers concerned with saffron rejuvenation of district Srinagar and Pulwama at India International Kashmir Saffron Trade Center (IIKSTC) Dussoo, Pampore.
Addressing the meeting, the Director Agriculture directed the concerned officers including the officers of IIKSTC to work in close coordination with the saffron growers and guide them at each and every step during and after the harvesting saffron crop.
He asked the officers to ensure that the saffron farmers get their produce GI tagged at IIKSTC, besides taking benefit from other state of the art facilities provided by the center.Director expressed satisfaction over this year saffron crop and said that with the help of GI tagging and e-marketing facilities provided by the IIKSTC to the saffron farmers, the saffron from Kashmir will not only fetch better prices but will also find ways into the new markets at international level.
He said that Kashmir being one of the best tourist destinations in the country is visited by a large number of national and international tourists. He said that tourists nowadays are visiting the saffron fields of pampore and this is the big step for the promotion of Agri-tourism in Kashmir.
He asked the saffron farmers to follow the guidelines and instructions of the department in letter and spirit so that they could earn better prices for their produce.The meeting was attended by Chief Agriculture Officer Srinagar Mohammad Younis Chowdhury, Chief Agriculture Officer Pulwama Mohammad Iqbal Khan, and other concerned senior officers of the department.