As climate change impacts the production of prized saffron in Kashmir, scientists are shifting to a largely new technique for growing one of the world바카라s most expensive spices in the Himalayan region: indoor cultivation.
Results in laboratory settings have been promising, experts say, and the method has been shared with over a dozen traditional growers.
Indoor cultivation boosting yield
Agriculture scientist Nazir Ahmed Ganai said indoor cultivation is helping boost saffron production, which has been adversely hit by environmental changes in recent years.
바카라If climate is challenging us, we are trying to see how we can adapt ourselves. Going indoors means that we are doing vertical farming,바카라 said Ganai, who is also the vice chancellor of the region바카라s main agriculture university.
For the last three years, saffron farmer Abdul Majeed Wani has opted for indoor cultivation. He said his experience has been satisfying and the technique 바카라has benefited us in a good way.바카라
바카라We faced some difficulties initially because of lack of experience, but with time we learned,바카라 Wani said.
Kashmiri saffron of supreme quality
A kilogram (2.2 pounds) of the spice can cost up to $4,000 바카라 partly because it takes as many as 150,000 flowers to produce that amount.
Across the world, saffron is used in products ranging from food to medicine and cosmetics. Nearly 90% of the world바카라s saffron is grown in Iran, but experts consider Kashmir바카라s crop to be superior for its deep intensity of color and flavor.
Political upheavals also disrupting Kashmir바카라s economy
Kashmir바카라s economy is mainly agrarian and the rising impact of climate change, warming temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns has increased worries among farmers who complain about growing less produce. The changes have also impacted the region바카라s thousands of glaciers, rapidly shrinking them and in turn hampering traditional farming patterns in the ecologically fragile region.
Strife in the region has also impacted production and export. For decades, a separatist movement has fought Indian rule in Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have died in the conflict.
Tensions fanned in 2019 after the Indian government바카라s decision to abrogate the special status granted to Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5, 2019. Subsequently, Jammu and Kashmir was stripped off its statehood and reorganized into a centrally administered union territory.
(With inputs from AP)
