Rains batter apples and paddy in Kashmir, but saffron farmers eye a bumper crop

In 2023, authorities approved a ₹146 crore ($17.5 million) project to promote niche crops such as saffron under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), aimed at reviving the region’s traditional farming (file photo)
| Photo Credit:
NISSAR AHMAD

Days of torrential rain flattened paddy fields and washed away farmland in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, causing heavy losses to apple and rice growers. But the downpours have offered a rare boost to the Valley’s prized saffron crop, raising hopes of a good harvest after years of decline.

“Saffron requires moisture from the second week of August to the second week of September,” said Abdul Majeed, a grower from Pampore, south of Srinagar, the area famed for producing the Valley’s prized spice. “This year we are expecting a bumper harvest after a couple of weak seasons.”

Changing weather

Kashmir’s saffron production has been hit hard by shifting weather patterns over the past two decades. Official data shows production has slumped by around 65 per cent since the late 1990s, while land under cultivation has shrunk from more than 5,700 hectares in 1996-97 to just 2,387 hectares in 2019-20.

In 2023, authorities approved a ₹146 crore ($17.5 million) project to promote niche crops such as saffron under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), aimed at reviving the region’s traditional farming.

Last year, production declined 20–30% after a prolonged dry spell from June to July, when temperatures climbed as high as 34 degrees Celsius. Although this June was also unusually hot and dry, wet spells in July and heavy rainfall in August gave the crop enough moisture on the upland plateaus of Pampore and adjoining areas.

Mixed fortunes

From June 1 to Sept. 3, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 658.5 mm of rainfall, 41% above normal, according to official data. Several districts, including Pulwama, Reasi, Udhampur, Samba and Doda, saw large excess rainfall, while Shopian, Kupwara and Kishtwar reported deficits.

“From mid-September onward, saffron requires a dry climate for flowering and harvest, as excess moisture at this stage can damage the delicate crop,” said Irshad Ahmad, another Pampore farmer.

Apples and paddy, the Valley’s other two major crops, were not as fortunate. Flooding and landslides in August inundated orchards and fields, leading to widespread damage and heavy losses for growers.

Published on September 8, 2025