SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has rejected claims of a sharp fall in saffron production in 2025, informing the Legislative Assembly that output has not declined to five per cent of normal levels and that overall productivity and returns to farmers have improved under the National Mission on Saffron.
Replying to a starred question raised by MLA Hasnain Masoodi, the Agriculture Production Department said the annual production of saffron has not witnessed a decline in recent years. It clarified that while the sector had suffered a sharp contraction before the launch of the Mission, the trend has since stabilised and improved.
Officials said that prior to the implementation of the National Mission on Saffron in 2010–11, both area and productivity had fallen drastically. The cultivated area shrank from 5,707 hectares to 3,715 hectares, while productivity dropped to critically low levels of 1.27 kg per hectare in 2000–01 and 1.68 kg per hectare in 2003–04, resulting in depressed production.
However, after the rollout of the “Economic Revival of JK Saffron Sector” project, the decline was halted and the area under cultivation has remained stable at 3,715 hectares since 2010–11. The government said an overall upward trend in productivity has been recorded, except during three years affected by adverse weather.
The department attributed temporary dips in 2014–15, 2017–18 and 2018–19 to external climatic factors, including the 2014 floods and prolonged dry spells, which brought productivity down to between 1.50 kg and 1.75 kg per hectare.
Data presented in the Assembly shows that average production stood at 17.33 metric tonnes in 2020–21, 14.87 metric tonnes in 2021–22, 14.94 metric tonnes in 2022–23, rose to 23.53 metric tonnes in 2023–24, and remained at 19.58 metric tonnes in 2024–25. Average productivity increased to 6.33 kg per hectare in 2023–24 before settling at 5.27 kg per hectare in the latest year.
The government also highlighted improvements in rejuvenated saffron fields developed under the Mission. Around 2,598 hectares have been rejuvenated, where productivity levels have ranged between 4.4 kg and 6 kg per hectare in recent years, contributing substantially to overall output.
Non-traditional areas have also shown gains, with productivity rising to 4.87 kg per hectare in 2023–24 and 4.5 kg per hectare in 2024–25.
On the financial side, the value of saffron production and exports has increased significantly. The value of total production rose from Rs 302.35 crore in 2020–21 to Rs 564.72 crore in 2022–23 and Rs 534.53 crore in 2024–25. Export value also climbed from Rs 272.12 crore in 2020–21 to Rs 491.31 crore in 2023–24 and Rs 486.43 crore in the latest year.
Officials said the establishment of the Indian Institute of Kashmir Saffron and Technology Centre (IIKSTC) and scientific post-harvest processing has helped improve quality and farmer returns. Scientific drying techniques have enhanced colour strength from nine per cent under traditional methods to 16 per cent, while prices realised by farmers increased from around Rs 80,000 per kilogram to about Rs 2.20 lakh per kilogram in 2021–22.
The Mission, sanctioned with an outlay of about Rs 400.11 crore, also introduced e-auctions at the IIKSTC to reduce the role of intermediaries and ensure transparent price discovery for growers.
Responding to concerns that the Mission had failed due to non-functional bore-wells and shrinking cultivation area, the government said the area has not reduced and remains constant at 3,715 hectares. It acknowledged, however, that parts of the irrigation component remain incomplete.
Out of 3,665 hectares identified in the Kashmir division, about 2,548.75 hectares have been rejuvenated, while 1,116 hectares are yet to be covered. Of the 124 planned community bore-wells intended to support sprinkler irrigation, 85 have been handed over to the Agriculture Department. A government committee found that 77 bore-wells were not functional for long periods, while only eight — four each in Srinagar and Budgam — are currently operational.
Officials attributed delays in completing the remaining bore-wells to poor participation in the tendering process, high operational and maintenance costs for farmers, and instances of damage to irrigation infrastructure. The department also flagged threats from land encroachment and real estate activity in saffron-growing areas.
Despite these challenges, the government maintained that most objectives of the Mission have been achieved and said it is continuing to engage with stakeholders to complete pending works and strengthen irrigation infrastructure.
“The majority of the outcomes have been realised, though some components remain incomplete due to various factors,” the department said, adding that further steps are being taken to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of Kashmir’s saffron sector.
