Kashmir’s Saffron Fields: A Legacy Under Siege

Once hailed as the king of spices, saffron is seeing a 67.5% decline in production, a consequence of cement dust pollution, cheaper Iranian imports, erratic profits and limited rainfall. Aiman Fayaz investigates.

Legend has it that travelling Sufi saints gifted a local chieftain in Kashmir a bulb of saffron, which flourished in the region. It soon came to be known as the king of spices. Today, saffron is considered the world's most valuable (and expensive) spice.

Pampore, famously known as ‘Saffron Town’, is a verdant plateau awash with purple crocuses. The crocus flowers, with their slender petals and bright hue, stand out against the greenery and the majestic backdrop of the Himalayas.

Saffron originates from the Crocus sativus, a small corm that blooms into vivid purple flowers. Each flower contains three fragile, crimson stigmas, which are pure saffron threads. It takes close to 4,500 flowers to produce an ounce of saffron.

The saffron crocus blooms when its stalk is two fingers high above the soil. Photo Credits: Faisal Bashir

Saffron flower have a beautiful bluish hue, with four spreading petals and four orange threads.

Best in the Game

The Himalayan region is the largest saffron-producing area in South Asia, second only to Iran. In Kashmir, saffron cultivation is concentrated in three districts: Budgam, Pulwama, and Srinagar. Over thirty thousand families in the valley rely on this spice for their livelihoods, making it crucial to the region’s economy.

Farmers in the region begin sowing saffron seeds, also known as corms, in September. The crop thrives on elevated land surrounded by water channels that regulate moisture levels without flooding. By October, the saffron flowers start blooming, with the peak typically occurring between October 20 and November 1. Farmers collect these delicate flowers and store them carefully to prevent spoilage.

Kashmiri saffron stands out in the market due to their meticulous hand-production, which is believed to contribute to its superior quality. This quality difference is reflected in its higher market price — saffron today costs ₹2.50 lakh per kilo (₹250 rupees per gram). “Kashmiri saffron costs fifty thousand rupees more as compared to Iranian saffron because we strictly adhere to organic farming practices without any use of fertilizers,” says Nawaz Ahmad (45), a saffron farmer from Pulwama.

Kashmiri saffron is known for its exceptional flavour profile and sweetness. It boasts an impressive crocin content of 8%, surpassing the 6.82% typically found in Iranian saffron. This distinctiveness has firmly established Kashmiri saffron as a sought-after premium product valued for its rich aroma, medicinal properties, and it’s ability to transform dishes.

Saffron in Kashmiri Cuisine

Saffron holds a revered place in culinary traditions around the world. In the heart of Kashmiri cuisine, saffron weaves its magic into traditional dishes, making them incomplete in its absence. Saffron’s unique ability to enhance both sweet and savoury dishes with its delicate and refined essence is what makes it so special.

Take rogan josh, for instance. This signature dish of the Kashmiri Wazwan is a rich and aromatic lamb curry, where saffron is the star. It elevates the dish, imparting a luxurious flavour and a vibrant red colour. Then there is the Kashmiri pulao, which has basmati rice, cooked with an array of nuts, dried fruits, and saffron-infused water. For dessert, nothing beats kesar phirni, a luscious rice pudding flavoured with saffron, cardamom, and almonds. To complete the experience, a cup of Kashmiri kahwa is key. This fragrant, warming green tea, made with whole spices, saffron, and nuts like almonds and walnuts, is a perfect beverage in Kashmir’s cold climate.

Today saffron, locally known as kongposh, stands as a dwindling treasure, facing numerous challenges that threaten its existence including competition from tax-free imports of saffron from Iran through Afghanistan. Local saffron farmers argue that their traditional cultivation methods cannot compete with Iranian saffron, which benefits from modern techniques designed to combat dry weather and other challenges such as rodent infestations.

Farmers in Dismay

Muzamil Ahmad, 30, is a saffron farmer and trader from Pampore. He remembers when his family had over fifty kanals (one kanal is one eight of an acre) of land cultivating saffron. As a boy, Muzamil recalls waking up to the smell of saffron and the community coming together, singing harvest songs while picking the delicate flowers. Over the years, things have changed dramatically.

“We now have barely fifteen kanals of land,” he says. “No one wants to do this challenging work anymore. People are switching to commercial crops that bring in more money.”

Many saffron farmers in Jammu and Kashmir have turned to commercial crops as they offer greater financial returns.

Nawaz’s family has been growing saffron for decades, but their land gradually lost its fertility, resulting in diminished yields. The family has abandoned most of their saffron fields, retaining only a few kanals where they now cultivate saffron to extract oil for their cosmetics company. This venture provides them with a decent profit, unlike the labour-intensive saffron farming that no longer yields substantial returns.

According to Kashmir’s agriculture department, land available for saffron cultivation was down to 3,715 hectares in 2016, while per-hectare production has come down to less than 1.88 kg, compared to 6 kg in other parts of the world. Saffron production in the Kashmir Valley peaked in the 1990s, with an annual average yield of about 15.5 tonnes from 5,700 hectares. Since then, both the land farmed for saffron and the yields have significantly declined.

Saffron under Siege

Kashmir’s saffron production has faced numerous threats over the years. The crop is entirely dependent on rainfall, which farmers say has become increasingly erratic over the past two decades. To address these challenges, the government launched the National Saffron Mission rejuvenation project in 2010, investing 4.1 billion rupees (US$50 million) with the aim of enhancing production, improving yield quality, and boosting farmers' incomes through better and more direct transactions between growers, traders, and exporters. But farmers complain that they are yet to see the impact of this project.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Arjun Munda, stated that, out of the 128 deep bore-wells sanctioned under the Mission, 123 have been constructed by the Horticulture Department for the sprinkler irrigation system.  The department has successfully linked 73 bore-wells with Sprinkler Irrigation Systems, covering 2187.08 hectares. However, full utilization of these irrigation facilities is hindered by the absence of User Groups for managing and maintaining the bore-wells, in line with Mission Guidelines. “The Sprinkle Irrigation System could solve half of our problems. The government claims they've implemented these systems, but they aren’t functional and aren’t serving their intended purpose," says Ast fhiq Hussain, a farmer from Pulwama Khrew.

The Indian Government's Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has asked the UT Administration to review the National Saffron Mission activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Saffron production in the Kashmir Valley peaked in the 1990s, but since, both the land farmed for saffron and its yields have significantly declined.

Farmers emphasize that one or two spells of rain in September and October are important for the saffron crop to flower. However, since the 1990s, fluctuations in the rainfall cycle during these months have often led to damage to the crop that affects its yield and quality.

Instead of planting 300,000 corms per hectare, agricultural scientists recommended increasing this to between 500,000 and one million corms per hectare to significantly boost yields. Also, to mitigate the impact of drought-like conditions on saffron crops, scientists have also recommended planting almond trees alongside saffron fields, spaced four to five meters apart. This strategic placement will allow the almond trees to provide shade that will help retain moisture in the saffron fields.

Apart from water unavailability, farmers like Ghulam Hassan Wani, who own 15 kanals of saffron land, express deep concern over the presence of numerous cement factories in the area. They attribute the rapid decline of saffron cultivation in Kashmir primarily to this industrial encroachment. The emissions and environmental impacts from these factories have adversely affected the delicate ecosystem required for successful saffron farming. “The presence of cement dust has severely impacted both the quality and quantity of our saffron crop. If the government does not take immediate steps to protect our crops, I fear the industry in Kashmir may not survive,” he says.

The numerous schemes and policies drafted to protect the saffron industry remain largely unimplemented. Saffron growers and farmers insist that the era of mere assurances is over and demand concrete action to prevent further degradation of the once-thriving crop.

Aiman Fayaz is a journalist based in Jammu and Kashmir. She reports on society, environment, Culture and Education.  

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