Jammu & Kashmir: Bumper harvest of saffron makes farmers' faces glow, double production expected

The government has also mandated GI tagging for Kashmiri saffron to ensure that consumers receive pure Kashmiri saffron. GI makes certain that only the purest Kashmiri saffron is sold in the market.

Image Credit: Syed Khalid Hussain

Srinagar: There is good news for the saffron farmers in the Kashmir Valley this year. It's a bumper harvest of Saffron in the Valley, which has brought happiness among the saffron growers of Kashmir. Farmers say that the production is double what it was last year. There are thousands of families associated with Saffron farming in the Kashmir region. And these days all these families are busy plucking the saffron flowers from the fields. Kashmir has more than 3700 hectares of land under the cultivation of Saffron. The Pampore area in Pulwama is the main hub for growing saffron. Although now It's being cultivated across different districts of Kashmir valley as well. And farmers in Pampore are extremely happy about the crop this year. Nasir Hamid, Saffron Farmer said " With the grace of God, the crop is much better this year than what we had hoped for. We have been harvesting for days. This whole place is dependent on Saffron, as we grow most of the saffron from the Kashmir region. GI tagging is beneficial for us, as we have seen a lot of non-Kashmiri products being sold across India on Kashmir name and that needs to be completely stopped. 

The government has also introduced GI tagging to Kashmiri Saffron so that consumers get pure saffron from Kashmir. GI makes sure the purest Kashmiri saffron is sold in the market. It has helped the farmers a lot and sales are almost double than previous times. The GI tag is good for us, and it will benefit us. It makes sure the purest Kashmiri saffron is sold in the market. ''This is much better than the previous year." Said Farhad Hussain a Saffron Farmer. The tourists visit saffron farms and see with their own eyes how saffron is grown. The world's best saffron is grown in the Kashmir valley and the demand for it has been good. And these tourists are all appreciative of the farmers growing saffron in the Valley. It is a unique experience for them to see these saffron farms. A lot of tourists are buying saffron from these farms as well.

Vikrant Tourist said "It's a unique experience, we come from the Pune region, and we don't get to see all this. it's the most expensive spice and to see its farm of it is a great experience. it's a rich experience. Kashmiri saffron is the best and is known all over the world. It provides great fragrance and taste to the dishes.” Saffron is used for a lot of occasions in India. Whether it's the Puja or making sweets for the festivals. Its use is considered very auspicious. The saffron farmers have been demanding that the rates of saffron should be revised as everything becoming expensive in the market as also the process involved in growing and processing the saffron. The government had now established a saffron park in a pampered area where most of the saffron growers get their production and with the latest technology, the saffron is processed and then packed for exports in the country as well as abroad mostly in the Middle East.