Context: The saffron bowl, which was so far confined to Kashmir, may soon expand to the North East of India.
Background

• Saffron production has long been restricted to a limited geographical area in the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
• Pampore region, in India, commonly known as the Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtiwar districts.
• Saffron has traditionally been associated with the famous Kashmiri cuisine.
• Its medicinal values were considered as part of the rich cultural heritage of Kashmir.
• As saffron growing was confined to very specific areas in Kashmir, its production remained limited.
• Though the National Mission on Saffron focused on several measures to improve its farming, the measures were still limited to the specified areas of Kashmir.

Key Points

• The North East Centre For Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) has undertaken a pilot project to explore the feasibility of growing saffron in the North East region.
• Plants from seeds transported from Kashmir to Sikkim and acclimatized there are now flowering in Yangyang in the Southern part of the North-East state.
• The Botany and Horticulture department of the Sikkim Central University carried out tests to understand the soil and actual pH conditions of Yangyang of Sikkim and found it comparable to saffron growing places of Kashmir.
• The project also focused on post-harvest management and value addition of saffron so that quality saffron drying and efficient post-harvest processing can improve saffron recovery, thereby improving its production.

The Major Saffron Production states in India

• The Major production states are Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
• It is locally known as Kesar in Hindi, Kong in Kashmiri, Jafran in Bengali, Zafran in Punjabi, Keshar in Gujarati, Zafran in Urdu, Asra, Aruna, Asrika, Kunkuma in Sanskrit.

The Ideal Conditions for Saffron Cultivation

• For commercial saffron production the basic requirement is fertile soil. Climate is the second big factor. It demands a good photoperiod and a dry soil with light moisture.
• Soil is one of the basic requirements in saffron cultivation. It can be grown in loamy, sandy or calcareous soil. Gravelly soil is also friendly for saffron farming, but a heavy, clayey soil is not suitable for farming.
• The Saffron prefers acidic soil, it grows well when pH of soil is around 5.5 to 8.5.
• The Saffron requires less water, the soil must not be completely dry but just a little moist. 

The Climate for Saffron Cultivation

• The cultivation of saffron is mainly found in both sunken and dry areas with an elevation of 1500 to 2500 meters above sea level.
• It needs Photoperiod (day length or the period of daily illumination received by an organism) of 12 hours, which gives a lot of benefits, and also makes the flowering process sluggish.

Season for Saffron Farming

• In India, saffron Corms are cultivated during the months of June and July and at some places in August and September.
• It starts flowering in October.
• It needs extreme heat and dryness in summer and extreme cold during winter.
• Maximum growth takes place during winters, Such weather is common in parts of Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.