Click to play videoPampore: The purple flowers in Pampore are the town's claim to fame.
The region is famous for its high-quality saffron that is harvested in Pampore. But unlike other years, the harvest this year is expected to be good.
The reason is good enough reason for saffron grower Abdul Ahad Pampori and his family to celebrate. But they are far from happy.
“The price of Kashmiri saffron has been on the decline for about six to seven years,” Abdul Ahad says.
Rampant adulteration and unchecked import of the cheaper Iranian variety of saffron have taken a heavy toll on Kashmir's saffron industry.
“Earlier people would opt to harvest Kashmiri saffron. But now they prefer other options to earn a living,” another saffron grower, Ansar Magray says.
The reason why the saffron growers are disturbed is because the Iranian product is being sold all over the Indian market as Kashmiri saffron.
The Kashmiri saffron is priced at around Rs 35,000 per kilogram while the Iranian variety sells for Rs 20,000 a kg.
Meanwhile, the next generation of saffron growers say that if the industry doesn’t get a helping hand, then very soon the famous saffron fields of Pampore may become a lore.
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