Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promote Kashmir Saffron both nationally and internationally during his visit to the Indian International Kashmir Saffron Trading Centre (IIKSTC) in Dusso area, Pulwama district, South Kashmir.
Dr Pandey emphasised that Kashmir Saffron, recognised for its superior quality with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, is highly regarded worldwide. He stressed the importance of preserving the unique identity and purity of Kashmir Saffron, a top priority for the government. IIKSTC was established to maintain the purity of Kashmir Saffron and protect it from adulteration.
The Union Minister assured saffron growers of the government’s efforts to promote this heritage crop from Jammu and Kashmir across the country and globally. During his visit, he conducted an extensive tour of IIKSTC, inspecting processing units, including the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) certified laboratory.
Officials from the Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare department provided an overview of the facility’s operations, highlighting its crucial role in ensuring the quality of saffron and securing the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for saffron produce.
Earlier, Minister Pandey had a detailed discussion with officials from the Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare department, as well as representatives of saffron growers. The discussion centered on improving saffron production and addressing challenges faced by farmers. The farmers were assured that their concerns would be conveyed to the relevant authorities.
During the visit, felicitation ceremonies were also held to honour farmers who had qualified for various beneficiary-oriented schemes.
