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Updated: Nov 17, 2019 02:42 IST

A fortnight ago, dozens of young men and women used to leave their homes early in the morning and head for the fields spread on both sides of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in south Kashmir to collect the fragrant reddish orange threads from saffron bulbs.

They were hoping for a bumper crop after months of unrest after the August 5 move by the Centre to nullify Article 370 , which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, and curbs clamped on public movement and communications that hurt every business in the Valley. Many saffron growers believed production would triple.

Heavy snowfall in the first week of November put paid to those hopes.The precipitation from November 6 to 8 in the hills and plains of Kashmir has left more than 40% of the saffron crop buried under snow in Pampore, where most of the saffron grows. With the saffron bulbs completely damaged, no one is venturing out to pluck fresh flowers.

“There won’t be any flower pickings now. We were hopeful that the yield would increase and double or triple from the previous year’s production. Unfortunately the heavy snowfall damaged the crop,” says Mohammad Ashraf, who lives in Dassu village, where the Jammu and Kashmir government has set up a spice park with the Centre’s help.

Saffron is believed to be the most expensive spice in the world by weight, fetching between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹2.5 lakh a kilogram.It also has medicinal value. The climatic conditions in Kashmir are thought to be ideal to grow the flower of Crocus sativus, from which saffron is derived.

This year, the flower collection in Kashmir started in late October because of the unrest and growers had been preparing for a longer flower-plucking season that would last until the last week of November.

“This snowfall happened at the peak of the saffron harvest. For me and my family, the good harvest was the only hope, especially when every business has been closed for the past more than 100 days. Now this hope too has received a jolt,’’said Ashraf.

Ghulam Ahmad Magray, a businessman-farmer owing an acre of saffron land in Lethpora, is rueful. “Saffron always used to supplement my business income every year. From August 5, when the special status was removed, shops are shut and I have done no business at all. I had hopes that saffron will fetch me good money but that was not to be,’’ said Magray, who owns a chain of shops.

Close to Magray’s house, Mohammad Iqbal has setup a showroom where he used to sell saffron and dry fruits to the tourists travelling on the national highway.

“There are no tourists, and due to continuous shutdown, I have not opened my shop for the last three months. Even if I open my shop, there won’t be any customers,’’Iqbal said.

He used to sell dry fruits and other merchandise, such as handicrafts, and earn around Rs 30,000 to 40,000 everyday. “Since our shop is close to saffron fields, the demand for original saffron was always there and a major chunk of money used to come from saffron sale. Now, I don’t have enough money to pay for my three salesmen.’’

Ghulam Mohammad Pampori, president of the Saffron Growers and Dealers Association, said saffron flowers were cultivated in 226 villagers spread over five districts of J&K. “Now, the area has shrunk and production has also come down,’’ Pampori said.

He said the growers couldn’t complete the flower plucking. “The central government had started a saffron mission project to increase the production but the project has not gone the way it should have.’’

Pampori, who himself owns a hectare of saffron land, said that he had plucked 10 kilograms of flowers. “After sorting, I will be able to get three to four kilograms of pure saffron.’’

Growers claim saffron was earlier grown on more than 5,500 hectares and its cultivation has come down to 4,000 hectares with many converting saffron fields into apple orchards. Some started using saffron fields for commercial purposes due to their prime locations on the highway.

The government has bought 3,500 hectares of land under the saffron mission with 3,200 hectares in Pulwama district and rest 3,00 hectares in Srinagar and Budgam.