Ladakh tests saffron as new high-value crop

A barren patch of land in Leh could soon turn into a high-value agricultural asset, with Ladakh Administration launching a pilot saffron cultivation project that seeks to test whether the premium spice can become a new source of income for farmers in the cold desert.

Buoyed by the stupendous success of the Lilium flower fields in Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has undertaken another agricultural-diversification exercise of growing saffron in the cold desert of Ladakh. As an ambitious experiment, nearly 800 kg corms of premium Iranian saffron have been planted over nearly 4000 square meters of land, which was earlier barren and has been recently restored and rejuvenated, as part of Project Him Sarovar, under the guidance of Saxena. Agriculture experts said these saffron corms are expected to produce a good quantity of saffron.

The pilot saffron cultivation is being undertaken at Command Area Gate No. 27 at Spituk Pharka in Leh. For this purpose, high-quality Iranian saffron corms with a circumference of 8 to 10 cm, a diameter of 2.5 to 3 cm or larger, and a weight of 10 grams or more, which are considered the best corms, have been planted. These specifications are considered suitable for high-quality saffron production.

Saxena said the saffron plantation has immense potential to strengthen our local economy by introducing another high-value crop under Ladakh’s unique high-altitude agro-climatic conditions. This, he said, would also bust the myth that saffron cannot be grown in Ladakh and that the barren or degraded land could not be restored.

“Our endeavour is to transform degraded and barren land into productive assets and create new opportunities for our farmers”, he said.

Saffron is a high-value crop with strong market demand and commands a premium price, offering the potential to provide farmers with an additional and remunerative source of income. Jammu and Kashmir is the primary region for saffron cultivation in India, accounting for approximately 90 per cent of the country’s total production. Its introduction in Ladakh is, therefore, being undertaken as a pilot to assess its suitability to the region’s climatic conditions and explore its economic potential.

It may be noted that the saffron plantation site is part of the 800 acres of land being restored in Leh by bringing fresh water from the adjoining Igoo–Phey irrigation canal, which was recently restored and operationalised.