Centre extends National Saffron Mission by 2 yrs in J&K

The Centre today extended by two more years the Rs 371-crore National Saffron Mission launched in 2010-11 to rejuvenate saffron cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The decision was announced by Union Agriculture Secretary Siraj Hussain who reviewed the implementation of the mission at a high-level meeting with State Chief Secretary B R Sharma and other senior government officials at Civil Secretariat here, a spokesman said.
The state government had requested the Centre to grant a two-year extension to complete the project in view of huge crop loss suffered in the floods last year.
Describing the National Agriculture Market Scheme as a "game changer", the Union Secretary urged the state government to speed up the necessary reforms needed for approval of requisite grants from the Centre for mandis under it.

"The farmers of Jammu and Kashmir can immensely benefit from the National Agriculture Market and realize better returns for their produce," he said.
The meeting discussed the implementation of the new schemes launched in the agriculture sector including the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY), the spokesman said.
The Union Secretary also reviewed the status of implementation of Soil Health Card scheme to promote soil health and Pramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna to promote organic farming.