Kashmir’s saffron fields shrink as growers warn heritage crop faces extinction
Srinagar: Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s world-renowned saffron cultivation is facing a slow collapse as the area under its farming has plunged from 5,700 hectares in the late 1990s to just 3,665 hectares in 2025.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Pampore remains the main saffron-growing belt with about 3,200 hectares, followed by Budgam and Srinagar.
Farmers say housing colonies and commercial complexes are rapidly replacing saffron fields, especially along the highway. “Even the soil is sold for brick kilns,” lamented Nazir Ahmad of Lethpora.
Climate change and a new threat—porcupines destroying bulbs—have worsened the crisis.
Absence of crop insurance adds to farmers’ woes.
With annual saffron output now just 2.6 to 3.4 tonnes—far below the 15.9 tonnes of the 1990s—experts warn Kashmir may soon lose its saffron legacy unless concrete action is taken
Farmers believe the decline is not merely due to natural factors but stems from the deliberate negligence of the Indian occupation regime, which has failed to protect Kashmir’s traditional agriculture. They allege that the authorities are intentionally ignoring the crisis, as part of a broader design to deprive the Kashmiri people of economic self-reliance and weaken their identity.
