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Saffron blooms in barren Ladakh soil in 30 days
Published : Tuesday, 3 November, 2026 at 10:33 AM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
An experimental saffron cultivation initiative on previously barren land in Ladakh has achieved early success, with flowers blooming in less than a month—far ahead of the expected two-month timeline, local administration officials said on Sunday (November 1).
Officials confirmed that approximately 22 grams of high-value saffron were harvested over four days from reclaimed land in Spituk Farka, Leh.
The project commenced on October 1, 2026, when around 90,000 premium Iranian saffron corms weighing 800 kilograms were planted across 4,000 square meters of land.
While the field initially yielded 20 to 25 flowers daily, production spiked to 72 blooms on Sunday morning, marking the highest single-day yield so far.
Initiated under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the project demonstrates that Ladakh's harsh terrain possesses significant untapped potential for high-value agricultural production.
The cultivation forms part of a broader land reclamation effort under "Project Him Sarovar," designed to capture glacier meltwater and restore moisture to arid soils in a region that receives less than 100 millimeters of annual rainfall.
In May, the administration identified 800 acres of barren land near Spituk, diverting surplus water from the rejuvenated Igoo-Phey irrigation canal to make the soil suitable for farming.
Jammu and Kashmir currently accounts for nearly 90 per cent of India's total saffron output, centered mainly in Pampore.
The successful harvest follows two years of preliminary feasibility trials conducted by scientists from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine to identify suitable cultivation zones across Leh and Kargil.
-EM
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, 01550707296
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], Online-email: [email protected]
