Mar 9, 2020
Farmers from Kashmir urge the agriculture department for a Geographic Indication (GI) tag for Kashmiri saffron.
Hit by climate change, cheaper Iranian imports, poor irrigation and outdated farming and post-harvest practices, the production of Kashmiri saffron has declined by 65% over 22 years to 2018–from 16 metric tons to 5.6 metric tons, as per the records of the Department of Agriculture Kashmir.
GI tag will save the Kashmiri variety of saffron–sold at Rs. 1-3 lakh a kilo, the most expensive spice in the world–from the competition posed by Iranian saffron. Up to 48% cheaper than the Kashmiri variety, Iranian saffron has 95% share of the world market.
Saffron, despite its price, is in high demand for its antioxidant properties. It carries a hefty price tag also because the process of converting crocus flowers into the thread-like spice is painstaking and labour-intensive: It takes around 160,000 flowers to yield a kilogram of saffron.
Kashmiri saffron is of superior quality because of the higher concentration of crocin, a carotenoid pigment that gives saffron its colour and medicinal value: Its crocin content is 8.72% compared to the Iranian variant’s 6.82%, a government document claims, giving it a darker colour and enhanced medicinal value.
The problem is that it is hard for common consumers to spot the difference between various varieties and this puts Kashmir’s produce at a disadvantage, unable to command the higher price it deserves in a competitive market. High-grade Kashmiri saffron has also been hit by adulteration–mixed with the cheaper Iranian variety to be sold, it has cut local farmers’ profit margins.
A GI mark would be the best way to distinguish it on shop shelves.
This is the last hope for the growers as Kashmiri saffron currently is sold at Rs 1,000 per tola [10 grams] against the desired Rs. 2,500.
Measures to promote local saffron are critical for the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Agriculture and allied activities are the main occupation of around 80% of its population, and over 16,000 families are engaged in saffron cultivation. Currently 2.35% of Kashmiri saffron produced annually is exported, as per Srinagar-based traders, and there is scope for this to grow.