Kashmir sees bumper saffron harvest, farmers seek revision in rates

Srinagar: After several years, the saffron farmers of the Kashmir valley are happy. It's a bumper crop season and the farmers are busy plucking the saffron flowers from the fields.

Around 3700 hectares of land are being used for 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.

''It's a good harvest this season. The produce is much better than the previous years. It was really less in the last 5-6 years but this year due to rainfall it is a good harvest. Kashmir saffron is of the best quality and it has a lot of medicinal properties. We are hoping that the government will help us to market the saffron. The GI tag will help us a lot. The rains are the main factor for the increase in the produce,” said Zahoor Ahmad Kuchay, a farmer.

The saffron farmers have been demanding that the rates of saffron should be revised. With everything becoming expensive in the market including the process involved in growing and processing the saffron, the farmers say the rates need to be increased for them to sustain.

''This year the produce is much better than last year. We are hopeful the market will grow since we have a lot of production this year. The saffron rates are not growing, and we want the government to intervene to increase the rates. It's very expensive to grow saffron and we need the government to revise the rates. We have been demanding it for a long time now,” said Sahil Ahmad Yatoo, a farmer.

The Tourists coming to Kashmir Valley are visiting these saffron farms. Some of them saw it for the first time and appreciated the farmers' efforts to grow saffron.

''I am seeing it for the first time. Kashmir is famous for saffron and I am getting happy to see the saffron flowers. It's beautiful and now I see how difficult it is to grow. Salute to the farmers who are growing it! We use it in making desserts, pregnant women have it. It has a lot of nutritional value,” said a tourist, Rakesh.

The government has started the GI tagging of the Kashmir saffron which is bound to help in its sales across the world.