It is that time of year, when saffron harvest brings the Pampore life of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir, a saffron maker in India, has been cultivating red spice in the valley for centuries.

Pampore, located 13 miles[13 km]south of Srinagar, is well-known for its spices and is often referred to as Saffron Town for its excellent saffron.

Pampore accounts for about 90 percent of government-produced saffron.

The purple waves of the saffron fields are a major attraction for visitors to Jammu and Kashmir.

Each year, beginning in October, each member of the family can be seen picking crocus flowers and packing them in baskets.

When you pick crocus flowers in a field, the option of removing saffron from purple flowers begins and is often a family affair.

The flesh of smooth saffron is placed in the category of the most expensive spices in the world.

It takes more than 4,500 crocus flowers to make just one saffron, which makes them very affordable for cooking.

saffron gives a different flavor and color to food as well as to India, and is used in many Moghul cuisines.

Kashmir saffron known for its fragrance, color and medicinal value was supplied GI tag in 2020.

Read more: Kashmir saffron gets GI tag

Unplanned construction and industrial operations have reduced the soil under saffron cultivation in Kashmir.

Over the past two decades, yields have dropped by 80 percent in the state over the past two decades, according to officials and farmers.

From 7000 hectares in Pampore tehsil alone in 1990, saffron plots have dropped to 3600 hectares throughout Kashmir.

Sapphire growers in Pampore have reported lower yields in recent years.

Although the Department of Agriculture has made efforts to introduce saffron farming in areas with similar locations to Pampore, the crop is still in danger of extinction.

The National Saffron Mission was established in 2010 to help restore the saffron section.

Among other things, he provided irrigation and tapes to support irrigation and conduct research to improve yields. But the project has failed to achieve its goals.