Panic has gripped saffron farmers as production has fallen by 10 percent this year so far. Last year, the production dropped to 30 per cent of the 2023 figures of 14.94 metric tonnes. Figures released by the Department of Agriculture revealed that the total saffron production hit 16.34 metric tonnes in 2022. In 2021, saffron production was recorded at 15.04 metric tonnes. The output per hectare was recorded at 4.4 kilograms in 2022. Saffron cultivation is highly sensitive to weather conditions. The cultivation entails hard work and patience. When the purple harvest arrives in autumn, the flowers are plucked and the crimson red stigma removed and dried for days until it shrinks to the size of a slender thread. One stigma of saffron weighs about 2 mg, and on average, each flower has three stigmata. Kashmiri saffron is considered superior because of the higher concentration of crocin, a carotenoid pigment that has medicinal value. Its crocin content is 8.72 percent compared to the Iranian variant’s 6.82 percent, which gives it a darker color and enhanced medicinal value. Like Dal Lake, saffron is Kashmir’s identity. That is why GI was granted to saffron in 2020. Precious like gold, saffron is used in multiple ways in multiple products, ranging from medicine, beauty, color, food, and others. Kashmiri saffron kahwa is a delicacy that is served on special occasions, signifying the importance of the guests. Saffron also has religious significance. Hindus mostly use it to apply tika on their forehead. A kilogram of saffron is sold at Rs three lakh against Rs 1.5 lakh or less some years before. Sensing its significance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also gifted saffron along with a Pashmina stole to Microsoft founder Bill Gates last year. Yet declining production has sent shivers across the farming community. The Centre launched the Rs 4.1 billion National Saffron Mission in 2010 to mitigate challenges and rejuvenate saffron cultivation. Yet, weather vagaries and old traditional farming methods are dealing a killer blow to Kashmir’s identity. The government needs to think out of the box and save the saffron crop for posterity. Technology, modern farming, and irrigation facilities can do wonders. Our scientists have proven their mettle across the world. We should rope in our local minds and save saffron. If taken seriously, it can become a huge industry that can bring foreign exchange to the country. We need to take steps on both at production and marketing sides. Our farmers, too, need to shun the traditional approach and adopt modern technology to save this precious crop. Let us unite to save the queen of spices again!!
Save saffron
