Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday said that over 90 metric tonnes of saffron have been produced in the Union Territory during the last five years, asserting that overall output and productivity have shown improvement in recent years.
In a written reply to a question by National Conference MLA Hasnain Masoodi regarding saffron production, state Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar said that prior to the launch of the National Mission on Saffron, the cultivated area and productivity had declined sharply.
“As much as 90.28 metric tonnes of saffron production has been recorded in the Union Territory from 2021 to 2025, and over 80 metric tonnes have been exported,” he said.
The value of production during 2024–25 was pegged at Rs 534.53 crore, while export value stood at Rs 486.43 crore, he added.
According to official data, total saffron production stood at 17.33 metric tonnes (MT) in 2020-21, 14.87 MT in 2021-22, 14.94 MT in 2022-23, 23.53 MT in 2023-24 and 19.58 MT in 2024-25.
“Average productivity during the period ranged between 4 kg per hectare and 6.33 kg per hectare,” he said.
Dar said the area under saffron cultivation reduced from 5,707 hectares to 3,715 hectares, while productivity fell to critically low levels of 1.27 kg per hectare in 2000–01 and 1.88 kg per hectare in 2003–04, resulting in low production.
However, after the implementation of the “Economic Revival of J&K Saffron Sector” project under the National Mission on Saffron in 2010–11, the declining trend was halted, and the area under cultivation has remained stable at 3,715 hectares, the government said.
It said an overall upward trend in productivity has been recorded, except during 2014-15, 2017-18 and 2018-19, when floods and prolonged dry spells affected output, bringing productivity down to 1.50 kg per hectare, 1.64 kg per hectare and 1.75 kg per hectare, respectively.
Dar said 2,598.73 hectares have been rejuvenated under the Mission, with productivity in rejuvenated areas reaching 6.96 kg per hectare in 2023-24 and 5.6 kg per hectare in 2024-25.
On the status of post-harvest processing, he said year-wise details of saffron brought by farmers to the Indian Institute of Kashmir Saffron and Technology Centre (IIKSTC) for processing, GI tagging and sale have been maintained and annexed to the reply.
Responding to another part of the question regarding the Rs 411-crore PM Saffron Mission, Dar said the project was sanctioned in 2010-11 with an outlay of Rs 400.11 crore, including Rs 315.99 crore as the Centre’s share and Rs 84.12 crore as the farmer’s share.
“Rs 269.915 crore has been released by the Centre so far, while total expenditure stands at Rs 321.37 crore, including Rs 257.676 crore as GoI share and Rs 63.70 crore as farmer contribution,” he said.
Highlighting outcomes, he said the Mission successfully halted the decline in saffron area, which has remained at 3,715 hectares — 3,665 hectares in Kashmir division and 50 hectares in Kishtwar — since 2010-11.
Productivity in rejuvenated areas improved from 2.50 kg per hectare in 2009–10 to 4.42 kg per hectare in 2023, he said, adding that establishment of the Saffron Park has helped farmers secure better prices, increasing from Rs 80,000 per kg to Rs 2.20 lakh per kg in 2021–22.
On irrigation infrastructure, he said 124 community bore-wells were planned to cover 3,665 hectares in the Kashmir division.
“So far, 85 bore-wells have been handed over to the Agriculture Department, while construction of the remaining 39 faced hurdles due to poor participation in the tendering process.”
Dar added that farmers are required to bear operation and maintenance costs of these bore-wells, which has led to reluctance in taking them over.
