Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has launched a three-year project worth Rs. 500 million to promote saffron cultivation aimed at economically empowering poor and small farmers of the province. Under this initiative, starting from the fiscal year 2024–25, saffron cultivation is being introduced in 21 districts of the province, including Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Bajaur, Malakand, Upper Swat, Lower Swat, Shangla, Buner, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Haripur, Swabi, Hangu, and North and South Waziristan, among others.
Officers and field staff of the Agriculture Department are guiding farmers on modern techniques of saffron cultivation, including land preparation, planting of corms, and crop management practices to ensure successful production of this high-value crop.
The project is being implemented under the supervision of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Major (R) Muhammad Sajjad Barakwal, and Secretary Agriculture Dr. Ambar Ali Khan. The provincial leadership has expressed confidence that saffron cultivation can bring a new economic revolution to the province and significantly enhance farmers’ income.
Hajira Kamal, a female farmer from Mastuj, Upper Chitral, has cultivated saffron on her land under the guidance of the Agriculture Department. She shared that she received a six-hour training session organized by the department in Booni, where she learned all the steps of saffron cultivation. According to Hajira Kamal, “This project is a new opportunity for women farmers to achieve financial independence and prosperity. I am grateful to the Agriculture Department and the Minister for Agriculture for providing us with the chance to grow this rare and valuable crop.”
Encouraging results have been observed from the model saffron plot established in Upper Chitral, and local farmers are hopeful that the initiative will boost agricultural development and create new employment opportunities in the region. The project will not only help increase farmers’ incomes but also mark the beginning of a new era of modern and profitable farming in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.