Jammu, Mar 24: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday outlined several significant measures aimed at boosting saffron production in the region, a crop that plays a crucial role in the state’s economy.
Responding to a question raised by MLA Justice Hasnain Masoodi in the Legislative Assembly, the government explained that after observing a decline in saffron production in recent years, it had committed to revitalizing and improving the crop’s productivity. This was being done through the National Mission on Saffron, which emphasizes value addition, Geographical Indication (GI) certification, and enhancing saffron exports.
The government provided detailed figures on saffron production, export volumes, and their respective values over the last few years. In 2021, the production of saffron was 17.33 metric tons (MT), with 15.597 MT exported, generating a value of Rs 302.35 crore in production and Rs 272.12 crore from exports. In 2022, saffron production dropped to 14.87 MT, with exports totaling 13.383 MT, generating Rs 261.38 crore in production value and Rs 235.25 crore in export value. However, in 2023, production saw a slight increase to 14.94 MT, with exports rising to 13.446 MT. The value of production for the year was Rs 291.33 crore, while exports were valued at Rs 262.2 crore.
In response to concerns raised about the steep decline in saffron prices—from Rs 22,500 per kilogram to just Rs 2,000 per kilogram—which caused significant financial losses for local farmers, the government assured that the saffron industry had stabilized since the implementation of the National Mission on Saffron. The area under saffron cultivation has remained steady at 3,715 hectares since 2010-2011, despite challenges posed by adverse weather conditions, particularly in 2014-2015 and 2017-2018. While these weather-related challenges caused a temporary dip in productivity, the situation has since improved, leading to higher overall production and export levels.
Further addressing the issue of declining saffron cultivation, the government shared details on the area, production, and productivity of both rejuvenated and non-rejuvenated saffron fields. In 2020-21, the total cultivated area remained at 3,715 hectares, with an average production of 17.33 MT and an average productivity of 4.67 kg per hectare. In the following years, the average productivity showed slight variations: 4.00 kg/ha in 2021-22 and 4.02 kg/ha in 2022-23. Despite the challenges, the productivity of rejuvenated fields has shown an improvement due to the ongoing efforts under the National Mission on Saffron.
Highlighting the reasons behind the decline in saffron cultivation, the government pointed to a 2010 study conducted by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-K), which identified several contributing factors. These included a low benefit-cost ratio, high cultivation costs, low productivity, and the use of traditional farming methods. Additionally, changes in weather patterns and the resulting moisture stress at critical growth stages further discouraged farmers from continuing saffron cultivation.
In response to these challenges, the government launched the Economic Revival of Saffron Sector in J&K program in 2010-11, based on the recommendations of the SKUAST-K study. Since then, 2,573.73 hectares of saffron fields have been rejuvenated, with productivity increasing significantly from 2.50 kg/ha in 2009-10 to 5.14 kg/ha in 2020-21, and remaining steady at 4.42 kg/ha in 2022-23 in rejuvenated areas.
The government also announced the construction of a Spice Park/India International Kashmir Saffron Trading Center (IIKSTC) at Dussu Pampore, a facility developed under the National Saffron Mission at an estimated cost of Rs 37.81 crore. This facility is expected to improve market access for saffron growers, and the introduction of an e-auction facility at IIKSTC is expected to help farmers secure better prices for their produce.
With these steps, the government reiterated its commitment to strengthening the saffron sector in Kashmir, emphasizing its importance in both the regional economy and the livelihoods of local farmers.
