Saffron Production Plummets, Leaving Growers Concerned

27-Jan-2026 11:25 AM

Srinagar: Although saffron prices have increased dramatically, the significant decline in production means that growers in Jammu and Kashmir are not seeing a substantial increase in their income. Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India that produces saffron.

The sharp drop in production has led to a decrease in the supply and availability of saffron, and its price has almost doubled. If production had been better, farmers' incomes would have increased significantly.

According to experts, the price of 10 grams of GI-tagged Kashmiri saffron has jumped to Rs 4,000, which is almost double the price of the previous season.

The president of the All Jammu and Kashmir Saffron Growers Association says that while the price of saffron has increased, production has been very low.

There has been a sharp decline of approximately 75 percent in yield. Production, which was around 15 tons a decade ago, has now plummeted to around 1 ton. This has resulted in stagnant or negligible income for farmers.

Climate change is considered a major reason for the declining saffron production. Prolonged dry spells and a severe lack of rainfall during the winter months in the major saffron-producing regions have hampered the proper development of flowers, affecting the saffron crop for several years.

Production, which was around 8 tons in 2010-11, decreased to 2.60 tons in 2023-24. Production was even lower in the 2022-23 season.