We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry. current time
Kashmir Moves to Protect Saffron Corms as Farmers Face Falling Yields
Kashmir’s saffron sector is facing a new challenge as increasing quantities of saffron corms are being moved out of the Valley, raising concerns about the availability of planting material for future cultivation.
Saffron corms are the underground structures from which the crop develops. Their growing demand outside Jammu and Kashmir has reportedly encouraged some local growers to sell planting material to buyers in states such as Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, where farmers are exploring saffron cultivation under controlled conditions.
Authorities have been particularly concerned about the movement of corms because Kashmir itself is dealing with shrinking cultivation and weak production. The government has restricted their transportation outside Jammu and Kashmir under provisions of the Saffron Act, 2007 and the Seeds Act, 1966.
Despite the restrictions, cases of illegal movement have continued to surface. In August 2025, police intercepted a vehicle near Awantipora, about 18 km from Pampore, and recovered nearly 150 kg of saffron corms. Four people were detained in connection with the seizure.
The financial incentive for farmers is one of the reasons behind the growing trade. Corms can command substantially higher prices outside the local market, particularly when buyers are looking for large quantities of healthy planting material. At the same time, declining saffron yields have reduced the returns from keeping land under the crop, making the sale of corms an attractive short-term option for some growers.
The situation is particularly worrying because Kashmir’s saffron acreage has already contracted significantly. The area under cultivation declined from 5,707 hectares in 1996-97 to around 3,715 hectares in recent years, a reduction of nearly 35%. Production has also remained under pressure, with growers reporting extremely poor output last year.
Some farmers have begun moving towards high-density apple orchards and other crops that require less labour, further adding to the pressure on traditional saffron cultivation.
Push for local corm production
To protect the crop’s future, the Agriculture Department is planning Saffron Seed Multiplication Nurseries in the Valley. The initiative is aimed at producing healthy planting material locally and ensuring that farmers have reliable access to quality corms.
Land has reportedly been identified in Pampore for a government-run nursery. Such facilities could reduce dependence on privately traded planting material while helping replenish saffron fields with healthy corms.
Authorities are also strengthening checks to curb the unauthorised movement of saffron planting material. For Kashmir’s saffron industry, protecting the corm supply has become as important as protecting the harvested spice itself.
