Purple blooms on Northeast hills spur hope of saffron cultivation outside Kashmir

Guwahati: Parts of the hills in Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh and Yuksom in Sikkim have literally turned purple as farmers have taken to cultivation of saffron, raising hope for commercial cultivation of the costliest spice outside Kashmir.

The Northeast Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an agency under the Centre's Department of Science and Technology (DST), involved tribal farmers for commercial cultivation after a pilot project in the Northeast succeeded. The "Mission Saffron" was taken up after the Geospatial technology found the climate and soil quality in the region to be similar to Pampore in Kashmir, the only major site of commercial cultivation of the spice.

The Mission was taken as the present production was unable to meet the growing demand for saffron, which is used in preparation of many dishes, cosmetics and has medicianal properties. India consumes about 100MT of saffron annually but produces only 15 MT (2020-2021).

"A total of 64 farmers in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya are now reaping the benefits of the saffron cultivation project. Saffron corms were sown between last week of September and first week of October. Soon after, flowers started blooming in all the fields. Approximately 37,000 flowers were seen blooming," said a document prepared by the DST.

"We are planning to go big way in 2023-24 and involve farmers to do commercial cultivation in at least 20 acres of land in the Northeast," director of NECTAR, Arun Kumar Sarma told DH on Tuesday. "Our effort is to involve more farmers and provide them with livelihood options and thereby meet our growing demand for saffron," he said.

Both Mechuka and Yuksom are situated on the high altitudes with cold climate.

At least 15 cultivation sites were identified in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim following individual land surveys meticulously assessing the related parameters specific to saffron cultivation. Comprehensive studies of the potential sites were then conducted by cross-referencing through desktop studies and Geospatial techniques with the geographical and climatic parameters of Pampore region of Kashmir as standard reference, said the DST document.

The trial cultivation was done in Chug, Dorjeeling, Shergaon and Walong in Arunachal Pradesh, Laitkor, Mairang, Nongshilliang, Thangsning, Umpling and Upper Shillong in Meghalaya, Ailwang, Lunglei and North Vanlaiphai in Mizoram and Lachung, Phengla, Sajong and Yuksom in Sikkim. Most of these places are situated on high altitudes.