NSM CHANGING LIVES
National Saffron Mission (NSM) has proved to be a boon for the farmers in Kashmir because the Rs 400.11 crore project brought in by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation to boost production and mitigate the sufferings of saffron growers in the Valley has miraculously helped the distressed tillers in a big way as the production has been more than doubled in the last nearly a decade showing the dedication of the Government in changing lives of the people towards betterment in Kashmir. Reportedly, per hectare yield of saffron, the world’s most expensive spice has more than doubled in last some years after the successful implementation of National Saffron Mission (NSM). Such unimaginable results show the dedication of the Modi Government in changing the lives of the farmers that too in the region which is trouble-ridden since last many decades. The NSM was launched after drastic fall in production of saffron and today this programme has proved its utility by giving miraculous results. With such initiatives taken by the government, the people’s confidence in Modi Government gets a boost and the same lead to plug in gaps between the public and the government. NSM did wonderful job in rejuvenating existing saffron patches, improving soil health by integrated methods of nutrition, containing pest and disease, enhancing irrigation system and post-harvest handling mechanizations. Obviously the farmers impacted by this bountiful project are a happy lot today as their incomes have also multiplied manifold times making the business lucrative for them. The belt in Kashmir which produces Saffron is indebted to Modi Government and is reposing faith in all the schemes and programmes designed for the farming community and are vociferously supporting the government on all aspects. The success of NSM in the Valley and in some parts of Jammu also has made it clear that toeing the line shown by the government in farming or any other field is always a good idea as the national and even international experts are consulted before launching any scheme and therefore if the same is implemented in letter and spirit, and with good intentions, the success of the same is inevitable as the case of NSM.