Production already hit by erratic weather; losses will deepen if issue not addressed, say farmers
Pulwama, Dec 19: Already battling the adverse impacts of climate change, saffron growers in Pampore and adjoining areas of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district are facing a serious challenge – large-scale damage to saffron corms by porcupines.
Farmers fear that if urgent measures are not taken, saffron production, which has already witnessed a steep decline over the years, may fall even further.
Growers from Pampore, Konibal, Dusoo, Lethpora and nearby villages told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that porcupines have been digging out saffron corms from fields almost every night, leaving behind damaged beds and shattered hopes. The situation has aggravated farmers’ anxiety, especially at a time when the availability of quality corms is already limited.
“Climate change has already disrupted our crop cycle. Irregular rainfall, warmer winters and prolonged dry spells have badly affected saffron. Now porcupines are destroying whatever is left,” said Abdul Rashid Shah, a saffron grower from Konibal. “When a corm is damaged, there is no flowering. That directly means zero production and a direct hit on our livelihood.”
Farmers said that saffron, often called “red gold”, is a highly sensitive crop and, unlike orchards, growers have minimal options to protect it from wildlife damage.
“For orchardists, there are methods like covering tree trunks or fencing, but for saffron we don’t have such solutions,” said Ishrat Ahmad, another grower from Pampore. “We try to scare porcupines away using lights, horns and noise, but it is not possible to stay awake the entire night. The animals return again and again.”
According to the cultivators, porcupines are particularly active between December and March, a period crucial for the survival and development of planted corms. During this time, they dig out and consume large quantities of corms, causing irreversible damage to future yields.
Farmers said that saffron production in Kashmir has already been declining due to multiple factors, including a shrinking cultivation area, changing weather patterns linked to climate change, a lack of timely irrigation, and the unavailability of high-quality corms.
“Porcupines are adding salt to our wounds,” Ishrat said. “If this issue is not addressed immediately, there will be no saffron corm left in these fields in the coming years.”
The growers recalled that a few years ago, a repellent spray provided by SKUAST-Kashmir offered some temporary relief, but the effect was short-lived, and the problem persists.
“We are not experts. The government must consult technical experts and scientists who can guide us on effective and sustainable ways to prevent porcupine damage,” said another grower from Lethpora. “So far, no long-term solution has been provided.”
Locals said they have repeatedly brought the issue to the notice of the concerned departments, including agriculture and wildlife authorities, but no concrete steps have been taken.
“We are not asking for compensation alone. We want preventive measures,” said a group of farmers. “If saffron cultivation collapses further, it will not only affect farmers but also Kashmir’s identity, as Pampore saffron is known worldwide.”
The farmers have appealed to the authorities to intervene at the earliest, deploy expert teams on the ground and introduce scientifically proven measures to protect saffron corms from porcupines before the damage becomes irreversible. (KNO)
