Saffron Farming in Kashmir: Status, Future, and Issues

Kashmir is one of the major saffron-producing regions and the second-largest contributor of saffron to the global market. Grown in the Karewa (highlands) soils of Kashmir, it is an important cash crop providing employment to about 5% of the total rural workforce in the valley. The crop is cultivated in the districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam, Shopian, Anantnag, Bhaderwah, and Kulgam. Pampore in district Pulwama serves as a major hub of saffron cultivation. Some prominent saffron villages of Pampore are Khunmoh, Zewan, Balhama, Sampora, Ladhoo, Chandhara, Woyan, Khrew, Shar Konibal, Dussu, Namblabal, Kadlabal, Hatiwara, Samboora, and Lethpora.

Saffron farming which is common in the Kashmir valley and the Indian subcontinent is confronted with the interconnected challenges of inadequate irrigation and drought. Farmers in Kashmir would depend on the winter snow in the previous years, which seeped into the soil all throughout spring and summer, keeping it moist despite the region’s strong sun. But climate change has led to scarce rainfall and snowfall in the valley, which has driven the soil to become dry and unsuited for the crop.

The Red Gold of Kashmir

Saffron is a perennial crop. When the spring season (Sonth) starts, preparations for saffron cultivation begin. Plowing is delayed if more rains arrive as too wet soils are not good for corms. From field observations, the farmers have deciphered that towards the end of June, it is necessary to plow the land again for the removal of weeds. A good time for sowing corms, which cost 50,000 rupees per kanal, or 1/8 of an acre, is in the second week of August till the first week of September. The field then needs timely showers till the flowering season. The crop lasts for about 10-15 years after sowing. However, the lifespan of corms depends upon the type of soil and the presence of moisture in the soil. 

In mid-October, the plants begin to sprout by themselves from the soil. The flower picking or harvesting season of saffron is very short. It starts nearly in the first week of November and up to its last week. A good flower collector can collect as many as 3000 flowers a day. These flowers are gathered in special baskets made out of willow. The plucking is done on alternate days or after every two days depending upon the production and yield of the crop. The flowers are then sorted and dried.

Reduced productivity of Saffron in Kashmir

The area under saffron cultivation in 1997 was 5707 hectares, and the production was 16 million tons approximately. However, with the passage of time, the area as well as production of the Saffron declined. According to data sources from the Department of Agriculture, by 2015, the area had reduced to 3674 hectares and production was 9.6 million tons with a yield rate of 2.61 kg/ha.

Some important factors that have contributed to less production of saffron are:

• Rainfall

Rains have a direct relationship with the production of saffron. It is reported that areas receiving 100-150 cm of well-distributed rainfall, with snow in the winters, are best suited for saffron cultivation. Rains in September are also essential for meeting the water requirements of corms for good flower yields. However, mountainous parts of the valley have showcased a drastic decrease in precipitation (10.3 mm/year) while flood plains welcomed a relatively less rate of decrease of 3.6 mm/year. The foothills and Karewas have shown a moderate rate of decrease of 6.3 and 5.8 mm/year, respectively.

• Technological poverty and unaware farmers

The use of outdated technology has also resulted in the loss of soil fertility and a decrease in production. There is a need to bring awareness among the farmers regarding post-harvesting methods and the newest techniques for storing the crop. Kashmiri saffron has a good amount of crocin in its fresh stigmas (14-17%). However, it is found to have decreased (9-11.5%) after harvesting and storing because of poor post-harvest handling, less knowledge about the right time and stage of separating the stigma from style, popularizing the use of solar dryers, branding, etc. Kashmir, thus, lacks in terms of production, with an average yield of 2.23 kg/ha as compared to 8.24 kg/ha in Spain and 10.0 kg/ha in Italy.

• Disease

Intensive cultivation and monoculture of saffron, together with the continuous use of diseased material, has resulted in recurrent incidences of corm rot diseases caused by pathogens.

• Distribution through fraudulent middlemen

The price of saffron in Kashmir is generally determined by firms and middlemen supplying the cash crop to the rest of the country. Small farmers sell their produce to these parties and under their elusive conditions receive minimal profit. Very few are able to sell directly to the dealers in the national markets of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar, etc. The government has, on the other hand, not been able to provide incentives or create a market where local farmers can sell their products at suitable rates.

• Climate change

Prolonged dry spells have left the saffron farmers worried. The crop is mainly dependent on rain. As discussed earlier, if rains arrive at the sprouting and pre-flowering stages, flowering is optimum and saffron yield is good. However, due to insufficient rainfall, the region has seen the lowest productivity in the past 30 years. During the years 1999-2003, the productivity reduced from 3.12 kg/ha to 1.57 kg/ha. However, in 2004-05, favorable rainfall improved productivity to 2.96 kg/ha. The next 13 years would then see an average of 8.71 metric tons yield. In 2015, the crop totaled 9.6 metric tons of saffron, from 3,674 hectares of land. While the exact numbers haven’t been calculated, farmers and scholars both agree that, in 2016 and 2017, the output fell to less than 10% of 2015’s numbers.

The National Saffron Mission Program

The Union Government of India, in August 2010, approved a plan of approximately 373 crore INR under The National Saffron Mission Program (NSMP) to rejuvenate saffron production in Jammu & Kashmir. It was planned that this amount would be disbursed till 2014 and 9.50 crore INR was to be distributed among the farmers for replantation of corms. Under the scheme, every farmer was promised a sum of 25,000 INR for each kanal of land. They would also be encouraged to adopt new technologies like seed diversification and transformation. The project aimed at improving saffron production and yield by providing quality seeds and a state-of-the-art water supply. The task was entrusted to the Department of Agriculture and the Mechanical Engineering Department of the erstwhile state.

Anticipated Results of the National Saffron Mission 

1. Saffron recovery: Sophisticated post-harvest techniques would be practiced, like quality saffron drying, to improve saffron recovery by 27%, which in turn would increase production by 5 million tons. 
2. Public sector nurseries: It was said that 800 hectares of land would be brought under saffron cultivation, and for that public sector nurseries would be established.
3. Productivity enhancement: The productivity of saffron would be increased from 2.50 kg/ha to 5 kg/ha. The total production would also be enhanced from 9.46 MT to 18.5 MT without including new areas for cultivation.
4. Price discovery through transparent transactions: The objective was to develop a well-organized market system that would reduce intermediate costs of brokerage which would help in availing better quality saffron for customers as well as helping farmers get their fair share in trade.

However, the mission failed to achieve its true objectives at all levels, leaving saffron farmers with no means to continue cultivation. They were forced to shift to other trades and farming practices. As an example, to combat the changing environment, 108 borewells – made by drilling inside the ground to store rainwater – were built. But only 8 out of the envisioned 128 sprinklers were set up, and most are still not in use. Advocates are of the opinion that local farmers, who had long relied on age-old techniques, were not properly educated about the changing conditions, or the methods for the benefit of their crop. While many others believe that farmers found the mission’s intrusive nature unwelcome in their fields, making it verbally known that the land’s sanctity had been tampered with.

To add to the woes, Iranian saffron has begun to enter India through secondhand channels. Because of its lower price, it is packaged and sold as Kashmiri saffron much to the farmers’ chagrin. Though high in novelty, the regional original spice is in no position to compete with its Iranian counterpart.

Geographical Indication Tag for Kashmir Saffron – A silver lining amidst the crisis

Kashmir has been assigned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry. And with the GI tag of Kashmir saffron, India became the only Saffron producing Country for which GI has been assigned which boosted the prominence of the spice in the export market. The GI Certification has also ceased the prevalent adulteration of Saffron and put an end to the marketing of Saffron cultivated in other countries under the garb of being produced in Kashmir.

Recommendations

Despite the struggles, more than 20,000 families are still associated with the saffron economy in the Kashmir valley today. These saffron cultivators are bent on adopting newer techniques to grow saffron, making sure the heritage and quality of Kashmiri saffron are kept alive. As climate change impacts its production, scientists are shifting to a new technique for cultivating one of the world’s most expensive Himalayan spices: indoor cultivation.

To further enhance the production of saffron, a few things are to be considered:

• The facility of good quality and high-yield seeds.
• Extension in the area of cultivation and production.
• Widespread use of solar and air driers. Financial help is to be provided for their purchase.
• Proper training for packaging the produce.
• Experts’ complete and equal coordination with the saffron growers.
• Marketing is also one of the main problems of farmers. So, it is necessary that cooperative societies are formed to sell saffron at decent prices.
• Rejuvenating the NSMP so that all the above parameters are delivered thoughtfully under the umbrella of a supervisory department.

References

1. https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:60892f59-407d-4a3a-a2cf-84c6ea8b3aa2
2. https://www.outlookindia.com/national/kashmir-adapts-new-saffron-cultivation-techniques-photos-234625?photo-10
3. http://agropedia.iitk.ac.in/content/saffron-cultivation-jammu-kashmir
4. https://www.eater.com/2019/2/13/18212411/saffron-kashmir-india-most-expensive-spice-climate-change