Leh's barren land set to bloom with saffron in first-of-its-kind Ladakh pilot project

Srinagar, Oct 2 (UNI) A barren patch of land in Leh is set to bloom with saffron for the first time, marking a new experiment in agricultural diversification in the high-altitude cold desert of Ladakh. Nearly 800 kg of premium Iranian saffron corms, numbering around 90,000, have been planted across 4,000 square metres of recently restored land at Command Area Gate No. 27 in Spituk Pharka, under Project Him Sarovar, an initiative being guided by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. Agriculture experts expect the pilot project to yield a good quantity of saffron. The saffron- which has been cultivated…