Photos: Climate change ravages Kashmir's 'red gold' saffron crop

Photos

Login / Sign Up

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Gold / Forex

Photos: Climate change ravages Kashmir's 'red gold' saffron crop

It takes around 160,000 flowers to yield one kilogram of the precious spice

Published: December 23, 2020 12:53 AFP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Senior Web Editor

1 of 12

Copy of 236509-01-02-1608713163031 — On sweeping fields once blanketed in lush purple, a thin and bedraggled crop of flowers is all farmers in Indian-administered Kashmir's saffron-growing region Pampore have to show for this year's harvest. Image Credit: AFP

2 of 12

Copy of 236510-01-02-1608713147809 — Dry conditions blamed on climate change have seen yields of the world's most expensive spice halved in the past two decades, threatening the future of a cash crop that has brought wealth to the region for 2,500 years. Image Credit: AFP

3 of 12

Copy of 236491-01-02-1608713167909 — "These fields used to be like goldmines," said Abdul Ahad Mir in Pampore, just south of Indian-administered Kashmir's main city Srinagar. Image Credit: AFP

4 of 12

Copy of 236499-01-02-1608713180854 — Saffron has long thrived there, and Mir's family was reared in the delicate work of plucking the lucrative but tiny crimson threads from purple crocus flowers. Image Credit: AFP

5 of 12

Copy of 236506-01-02-1608713142271 — Warming temperatures caused by climate change have made rainfall erratic, depleting the thirsty saffron fields of water. Image Credit: AFP

6 of 12

Copy of 236512-01-02-1608713152959 — It takes around 160,000 flowers to yield one kilogram of the precious spice, which will sell for around $1,350 in local markets. Image Credit: AFP

7 of 12

Copy of 236511-01-02-1608713150212 — But official figures show that harvests of the so-called "red gold" were just 1.4 kilograms per hectare in 2018 - half the figure recorded in 1998. Image Credit: AFP

8 of 12

Copy of 236502-01-02-1608713165775 — The harvest season - which lasts for just two weeks at the end of autumn - has also been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. Image Credit: AFP

9 of 12

Copy of 236504-01-02-1608713139520 — Historians say saffron has been cultivated in Kashmir since at least 500 BC. Image Credit: AFP

10 of 12

Copy of 236493-01-02-1608713170397 — Locally the spice is added to traditional dishes and used as an ingredient in Kehwa, a sweet drink served during special occasions such as marriages. Image Credit: AFP

11 of 12

Copy of 236494-01-02-1608713173016 — Elsewhere in the world, it is prized for its use in cooking and cosmetics and can fetch prices of more than $10,000 per kilogram on the international market. Image Credit: AFP

12 of 12

Copy of 236495-01-02-1608713175514 — Nearly 90 percent of the world's saffron is grown in Iran, but experts consider Kashmir's crop to be superior for its deep red colour and distinct aroma. Image Credit: AFP

Latest In

COVID-19 decimates Saudi domestic worker recruitment

11 minutes ago
'Democracy has prevailed': President Biden gets to work

55 minutes ago
Tough penalties for Saudi hunting rule violators

1 hour ago
GCC chief welcomes Joe Biden inauguration

1 hour ago
700 Saudi doctors left in lurch over unpaid salaries

1 hour ago

This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy.

Photos News

Trending