Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) a perennial herb belongs to Iris family Iridaceae and is the most expensive spice in the world known for its aroma and colour and used for flavouring and colouring and in medicinal, pharmaceutical industries. The colour, flavour and aroma of saffron are mainly due to crocin, picrocrocin and safranal, respectively. Due to very high crocin content and rich aroma, the Kashmir saffron is famous worldwide and commands a premium price over the saffron available from Spain or Iran.
Saffron is a legendary crop of Jammu and Kashmir produced on well drained karewa soils of Kashmir and Kishtwar where ideal climatic conditions are available for good growth and flower production. It grows at an elevation of 1500-2000 m amsl. Photoperiod and temperature exerts a profound influence on the flowering of saffron.
Total world production of saffron is around 300 tons per year. Iran, India, Spain and Greece are the major saffron producing countries with Iran occupying the maximum area and contributing about 88% of world’s saffron production. Though, India occupies the 2nd largest area but produces approximately 7 per cent of the total world production. Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India where saffron is produced. Spain with 600 ha of land is the 3rd largest producer with an average productivity of 8.33 kg/ha which is highest in the world. The leading saffron growing countries like Iran, Spain and Greece with intensive production technologies are able to achieve higher production and productivity than our productivity and posing great threat to our saffron industry as imports are increasing every year. Thus, there is a need to increase production by bringing more area under cultivation and double the average productivity by adopting intensive production system, efficient processing and marketing to make it globally competitive and remunerative to growers.
The total area under saffron cultivation in J&K is 3715 ha with production and productivity of 16 MT and 3.0 – 4.0 kg/ha, respectively. Saffron in J&K is primarily cultivated in four districts (Pulwama, Budgam, Srinagar, Kishtwar) with 86% saffron farming system in heritage site of Pampore over 3200 hectares. Pampore being peri-urban is under threat of commercialization /colonization therefore extending saffron cultivation in new potential and non traditional areas of J&K will provide more sustainability to the saffron cropping system. This will help to further improve overall saffron production of J&K keeping in view National demand of 100 M.T besides providing livelihood security to the marginally poor farmers of J&K.
Owing to the importance of the crop for its national market demand and export potential the crop was successfully introduced and grown at the Field Station, Bonera of CSIR-IIIM in August, 2020. Under the Mission Atmanirbhar India the Institute envisages to further extend the crop on commercial scale in different non-traditional areas of the Valley.
Lavender Production
CSIR-IIIM has been actively involved in the production and processing of high value aromatic crops in the different regions of the country. Lavender being a signature crop of the Institute is extensively extended for commercial production of Lavender oil in different under-utilized areas of the temperate Kashmir. Owing to the higher marketability, demand for lavender essential oil in aroma industry CSIR-IIIM has successfully introduced the crop and installed distillation facilities in hilly under-utilized areas of frontier district of Kupwara, Sonamarg, Ganderbal and other areas of Kashmir in 2020.