 "Kashmiri saffron")
The legacy of Kashmiri saffron remains an integral part of the region's heritage, culture, and culinary traditions. However, over the years, production and sale of the spice declined. After many government and international efforts, it seems the market for Kashmir's saffron may be on an upward trend.
At Rs 3,250 for a 10 gm packet of saffron, the spice is now more expensive than silver. Here is all you need to know about the spice, its history and its rise & fall in production.
What is saffron?
Saffron, known as kesar in India, is a highly prized and revered spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the "saffron crocus." It is renowned for its vivid crimson stigma and styles, which are collected and dried for use as a seasoning, colouring agent in food, and medicinal purposes.
In India, saffron holds a significant place in the country's culture and traditions, being used in religious practices and even represented on the national flag.
Where is it grown?
More From This Section
Countries such as Iran, India, and Spain are the top producers of saffron, while other countries like Greece, Morocco, Italy, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Afghanistan also cultivate this precious spice. However, the saffron grown in the Kashmir region of India stands out for its exceptional quality and exorbitant price.
In India, the revered Kashmiri saffron is harvested in the snow-capped mountains of Pampore, known as the "Saffron capital of India." This region, located approximately 14 kilometres away from Srinagar, is home to more than 20,000 families dedicated to cultivating Kashmiri saffron.
How is the spice cultivated?
The cultivation process begins with the delicate task of picking and collecting the purple crocus flowers. Each flower is divided into three parts—the petals, the yellow strands, and the red strands known as stigmas, from which saffron is derived. There are only three or four stigmas in each flower.
The saffron crocus flowers bloom for just six weeks a year, from late September to early December. Harvesting must be done in the early morning to preserve the delicate chemical structure of the saffron, as sunlight can affect its quality. It can take 160,000 flowers to yield just one kilogram of saffron, making it a labour-intensive and time-consuming process.
According to a research conducted in 2021, called Agro-Climatic Suitability Evaluation for Saffron Production in Areas of Western Himalaya, published by Frontiers, Saffron "grows well in friable, loose, low density, well-irrigated and well-drained clay calcareous soils with an optimum pH range between 6.8–7.8 and electrical conductivity.
The quality of saffron depends entirely on environmental conditions, content, and composition of secondary metabolites.
Why is Kashmiri saffron so expensive?
Saffron is a heritage crop in Kashmir whose cultivation dates back to 500 BC, according to a report by Insider. The report also notes that historians date the arrival of saffron even earlier than that, attributing it to the Persian invasion and colonisation of Kashmir.
Researchers and cultivators worldwide state that the primary reason for the high cost of Kashmiri saffron is its superior quality, characterised by its dark maroon-purple hue. This distinct colour comes from the higher concentration of crocin, a carotenoid pigment responsible for Saffron's colour and medicinal value.
According to a research paper published by the International Journal of Farming and Allied Sciences (IJFAS), Kashmiri saffron has a crocin content of 8.72 per cent, surpassing the Iranian variant's 6.82 per cent. This higher concentration gives it a darker colour, enhanced flavour, aroma, and greater medicinal properties.
Decline in production
Despite its rich history and superior quality, the production of Kashmiri saffron has faced significant challenges over the years. The cultivation area has decreased from 5,707 hectares in 1996-97 to 3,785 hectares in 2010-11, according to the Director of Agriculture of Kashmir.
At the time, this decline was attributed to factors such as low benefit-cost ratio, intensive and expensive cultivation practices, low productivity (1.88 kg/ha), biotic and abiotic stresses, poor plant stands, and changes in weather patterns leading to moisture stress during critical growth stages.
National Saffron Mission
To address challenges in production, the Indian government launched the National Saffron Mission. This mission aimed to boost saffron production in Kashmir by implementing various measures.
Its objectives include vertical and horizontal improvements in saffron production, enhancing the quality of saffron, strengthening research and extension capabilities, developing organised marketing systems, and promoting direct transactions between growers, traders, exporters, and industrial agencies. The total project cost is Rs 400.11 crore, with the government of India contributing Rs 315.99 crore and farmers contributing Rs 84.12 crore over a period of nine years (2010-2020).
Failure of the mission
In January 2019, the Director of Agriculture (Kashmir) Altaf Andrabi expressed concern over the rampant conversion of farmland for other purposes.
"Unplanned constructions like raising colonies, factories, brick kilns, shopping complexes and other commercial establishments are severely affecting the state's agriculture sector," he said.
As 2020 rolled around, according to the Department of Agriculture Kashmir record, the production of Kashmiri saffron declined by 65 per cent over 22 years, from 16 metric tonnes to 5.6 metric tonnes.
Climate change, poor irrigation, outdated farming practices, and post-harvest techniques had a toll on saffron cultivation in the region.
The declining production of Kashmiri saffron has also been attributed to factors such as insufficient rainfall during crucial stages of saffron cultivation and the influx of cheaper Iranian saffron, which is up to 48 per cent cheaper and has dominated the world market, holding a staggering 95 per cent share.
Revival of National Saffron Mission
At the end of November 2020, the Ministry of Science & Technology planned to extend the "Saffron Bowl" to the Northeast regions of India, which had similar climatic and geographical conditions as Pampore (Kashmir) after a successful sample farming of Saffron in Yangyang.
According to Telangana Today, this project cost Rs 17.68 lakhs for Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
Arunachal Pradesh witnessed a good growth of organic saffron with flowers, while Meghalaya had sample plantations grown at Cherrapunji, Mawsmai and Lalingtop sites.
Prospects for growth
Department of Agriculture reported that India had produced 16.34 metric tonnes of saffron last year, the highest in 27 years.
Choudhary Mohammad Iqbal, Director of Agriculture in Kashmir, told the Economic Times, "Trading is profitable, and farmers are receiving good prices for their harvest." An especially remarkable development since the crop is currently at an all-time high, with prices going up to Rs 3.25 lakh per kg from Rs 2 lakh per kg last year," in report in June 2023.
Geographic Indication tag
Kashmir's saffron market revival can also be credited to the geographical indication (GI) tag it received last year. The GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation due to that origin.
The tag has helped fight increasing global competition and allowed consumers to better identify the products they are purchasing.
Rehman Ahmed, owner of Dal Jheel Saffron Co in Kashmir's saffron centre of Pampore, said, "The GI tag has really helped saffron planters. Earlier, saffron farmers received between Rs 1.30 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh per kg. Now, that has increased to between Rs 1.82 lakh and Rs 1.84 lakh per kg."
