Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Feb 12: The Government today said that only eight of the 124 community borewells planned under the National Saffron Mission are currently functional, while 77 borewells have remained non-operational for a long time, exposing serious shortcomings in the mission’s irrigation component meant to support saffron cultivation in Kashmir.
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Replying to a question by MLA Hasnain Masoodi in the Legislative Assembly, the Government said the mission envisaged construction of 124 community borewells, each designed to irrigate around 30 hectares through sprinkler systems to cover the entire 3,665 hectares of saffron area in the Kashmir division.
So far, 85 borewells have been handed over to the Agriculture Department. However, repeated tendering failures, poor contractor participation, legal disputes, and persistent resistance and obstruction by certain local caretakers, farmers and miscreants have prevented completion and restoration of many borewells, the reply said.
The executing agency has issued legal notices citing non-removal of site obstructions, non-payment for executed works, and lack of administrative and police facilitation, according to the Government.
A committee constituted by the Government found that 77 borewells were not functional, while eight borewells – four in Srinagar and four in Budgam – remain operational. Another committee headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Awantipora, with the Chief Agriculture Officer Pulwama, Executive Engineer Machinery Division Srinagar and Tehsildar Pampore as members, has been tasked to facilitate restoration, conduct weekly inspections, and submit progress reports to the District Development Commissioner Pulwama.
The department also flagged threats from real-estate players and land grabbers in saffron-growing areas and said complaints have been lodged with concerned revenue officials.
Despite these constraints, the Government rejected claims that saffron production in 2025 had fallen to five per cent of normal output, stating that annual production has not witnessed a decline in recent years.
Official figures show total saffron production of 17.33 metric tonnes in 2020-21, 14.87 metric tonnes in 2021-22, 14.94 metric tonnes in 2022-23, 23.53 metric tonnes in 2023-24, and 19.58 metric tonnes in 2024-25.
The Government said the area under saffron cultivation has remained stable at 3,715 hectares since 2010-11, including 3,665 hectares in Kashmir division and 50 hectares in Kishtwar.
Out of 3,665 hectares identified for rejuvenation in Kashmir, 2,598.75 hectares have been covered, while the remaining 1,116.25 hectares will be taken up in a phased manner. Rejuvenation and replanting of the remaining area is planned during the 2026-27 planting season, as saffron is normally planted in July-August.
The department said productivity in rejuvenated areas has shown sustained improvement, reaching a maximum of 4.42 kg per hectare in 2023, compared to 2.50 kg per hectare in 2009-10.
The Government said the mission has also established the Indian Institute of Kashmir Safron and Technology Centre (IIKSTC) for scientific drying and post-harvest processing, which increased saffron colour strength from 8 per cent under traditional drying to 16 per cent under scientific drying. It added that the introduction of e-auctions at IIKSTC has helped farmers realise higher prices, rising from about Rs 80,000 per kg to Rs 2.2 lakh per kg in 2021-22.
While maintaining that most objectives of the Rs 411-crore National Mission on Saffron have been achieved, the Government said a few components, particularly irrigation, remain incomplete and efforts are under way to address the shortcomings in coordination with stakeholders.
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