Srinagar, Jan 29, KNT: Kashmir’s saffron industry, once a symbol of its rich agricultural heritage, is facing an existential crisis. With the rise of real estate development, traditional saffron fields are shrinking as farmers sell their land for higher profits.
The town of South Kashmir’s Pampore was once known as the “saffron bowl,” but the picturesque fields are rapidly disappearing, swallowed by a relentless real estate boom. Locals told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that farmers, struggling with declining yields and financial pressures, are selling their ancestral lands to developers, raising concerns about the future of Kashmir’s centuries-old saffron farming tradition.
For generations, saffron farming has been the backbone of Pampore’s economy, with its delicate purple blooms producing the world’s most expensive spice. But today, many saffron farmers are at a crossroads.
“Saffron farming is no longer sustainable,” says Ghulam Qadir, a 65-year-old farmer from Lethpora. “Erratic weather, irrigation problems, and falling profits have left us with no choice but to sell our land.”
Over the past decade, vast tracts of saffron land have been converted into residential colonies, shopping complexes, and commercial buildings. According to local estimates, Kashmir’s saffron cultivation area has shrunk from around 5,700 hectares in the early 1990s to nearly 3,500 hectares today.
The rising demand for housing and commercial space has turned Pampore into a hotbed for real estate activity. Land that was once valued for its saffron yield is now being sold at skyrocketing prices. “A kanal of saffron land, which could barely sustain a family, is now fetching up to Rs 30 lakh if sold for real estate,” says Abdul Majid, a property dealer in the area.
Government efforts to revive saffron farming, such as the National Saffron Mission launched in 2010, have failed to curb land conversion. The mission aimed to boost production through better irrigation and scientific techniques, but farmers claim that the promised improvements in irrigation facilities never materialized. “We were supposed to get a drip irrigation system, but even after years, it’s still incomplete,” says another farmer, Mudasir Ahmad.
Experts warn that the unchecked expansion of real estate at the cost of saffron fields could have long-term economic and environmental consequences. “Kashmir’s saffron is unique in terms of quality and aroma. If this trend continues, we risk losing a centuries-old industry,” says Dr. Bilal Ahmad, an agricultural economist.
The loss of saffron fields is not just an economic setback but a cultural one. “Saffron farming is deeply tied to our identity,” says historian Dr. Farooq Shah. “It is mentioned in Kashmiri folklore, poetry, and traditions. The younger generation is moving away from this heritage, lured by quick money from land sales.”
While some farmers continue to resist the temptation of land sales, the lure of real estate remains strong. Activists are urging the government to enforce stricter land-use policies and provide better incentives for saffron growers. “We need immediate measures to protect whatever saffron land is left,” says environmentalist Zubair Wani. “Otherwise, the day is not far when Kashmir’s saffron will be just a memory.”
For now, the fields of Pampore continue to shrink—an ominous sign for the future of one of Kashmir’s most treasured legacies. [KNT]
