Kashmir saffron plan failing to revive crop

One kg (2.2 lb) of Kashmiri saffron fetches around Rs 50,000 ($2,188) on domestic and international markets

Farmers say a multi-million dollar plan, launched in 2010 to revive saffron cultivation in Kashmir by helping counter erratic rainfall, has yet to ensure the most basic requirement for their crop: irrigation.

Putting in place sprinkler irrigation in saffron fields, which have traditionally depended on rain, was a key objective of the Rs -billion ($58.34 million) National Mission on Saffron, led by India’s agriculture ministry.

It was due to end early this year, but has been extended until March 2018 because it has yet to achieve its aims.

Saffron farmers, who grow the “king of spices” in fields sprawling across