SRINAGAR — The harvest season for Kashmiri saffron, widely known as “red gold,” is currently at its peak across the valley, with farming families actively engaged in collecting the delicate purple flowers. However, beneath the traditional harvest activity lies growing anxiety among cultivators over a noticeable decline in overall production.
In Pampore and its surrounding areas, known historically as Kashmir’s premier saffron town, farmers report that many fields have failed to produce expected blooms during the crucial flowering season. Cultivators attribute the falling yields to multiple factors, including prolonged dry weather conditions, shifting climate patterns, inadequate irrigation infrastructure, a shortage of quality saffron corms, and crop damage caused by rodents and wildlife.
Farmers have also criticized what they describe as a lack of effective official support for the traditional industry, claiming that government-backed initiatives, such as the National Saffron Mission introduced years ago, have fallen short of their intended goals and failed to provide sustained relief.
At the same time, some local observers note that shifting agricultural practices and reduced traditional maintenance of saffron-yielding lands have also contributed to the ongoing challenges facing the historic crop.
Saffron cultivation remains a vital part of the region’s agricultural heritage and local economy, making the current yield deficits a pressing issue for farming communities across the Pulwama district.