Saffron Output in Jammu and Kashmir Likely to Drop Sharply

30-Oct-2025 01:54 PM

Srinagar. Although saffron fields are blooming in Jammu and Kashmir, the impact of climate change is expected to lead to a significant decline in yields. This could reduce overall production.

Yields are projected to decline by up to 75 percent in some areas. Saffron acreage has also declined significantly. In the late 1990s, the saffron acreage in Jammu and Kashmir was approximately 5,700 hectares, which declined to 3,665 hectares in 2025. Pampore, Kashmir's famous saffron region, is known for its saffron production.

Preparations for the new saffron crop are underway, but producers are unhappy with the yield. This year's crop is reported to be weaker than last year's.

In some areas, farmers are only seeing 25-30 percent of the production compared to last year. Previously, each farmer would be able to fill a full basket with a single row of saffron flowers, but this time, not even half a basket is being filled. It's worth noting that last year's crop was not in good condition, but it was still better than the current year.

Most farmers in the Pampore division have begun preparing for the new harvest. Growers say that the dry month of October significantly affected the saffron crop, and the corms failed to develop properly.

The corms are thin this time, and yields are poor. More than 20,000 families in Kashmir depend on saffron cultivation for their livelihood. Saffron is regularly cultivated on approximately 3,200 hectares of land in the Pampore division.

However, production has been declining for years. There has been no significant snowfall in the past two years, and temperatures remain high during the summer.

Although the government had passed a law in 2007 prohibiting the use of traditional saffron fields for any other purpose and launched the National Saffron Mission in 2010 for which a provision of Rs 412 crore was made, yet complete success is not being achieved in saving the crop from the adverse effects of weather.