Baramulla, Nov. 4: On Saturday, Government Degree College Baramulla held the Saffron Festival on its grounds as a part of its ongoing, fruitful endeavor to cultivate saffron.
The occasion demonstrated the potential for saffron growing in north Kashmir, especially in the area of Baramulla. The gathering of saffron flowers and the extraction of their stigma were the highlights of the occasion.
The “Prospects of Saffron Cultivation in Baramulla” project was started in 2018 by Government Degree College Baramulla. It was later approved and funded by the University Grants Commission in New Delhi and received financial support from the JK Science, Technology, and Innovation Council, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief Agricultural Officer Y. Sassan and Dr. Ghulam Hassan Zargar, a former SKUAST director of research, attended the occasion. The celebration included the effective growth and harvesting of saffron blossoms as one of its major accomplishments.
On this particular occasion, the speakers emphasized the value of saffron farming and how it benefits farmers across the Baramulla area economically. They said that while saffron production is most well-known in the Pampore district of Kashmir, a trial on a tiny plot of land on the college’s grounds showed that the crop can also be grown there under the right circumstances.
Professor Abdul Majeed Chalkoo said, “It is suitable for cultivation in the Kareva area.” According to a chemical examination of the previous year’s saffron harvest, key chemical elements were present in substantial amounts, he said. Although rat infestations presented obstacles, which were effectively addressed via early intervention and the application of scientific methodologies, this year’s corm size, stigma length, and weight of saffron were all satisfactory, according to project investigator Professor Abdul Majeed Chalkoo.
The Department of Science and Technology and IC (DST) were thanked by the speakers for their financial assistance. The event also offered the college students working on the project a fantastic chance to get practical training and experience learning.
