Kashmir's Own 'Red Gold' And The Burrowing Threat Beneath It (image-X/@JandKTourism)

After several wars with climate change and low market prices, now the saffron farmers in Kashmir have to fight with the Indian crested porcupines. India is the world’s third-largest producer of saffron after Iran and Afghanistan. As nearly 90% of India’s saffron is farmed in Kashmir, majority of them is produced in Pampore, which is known to be the heart of India’s saffron industry.

The land in Kashmir is considered sacred by the locals since it has the capacity to produce the world’s finest saffron with an unmatched 8.72 percent crocin content. The crocin determines saffron’s colour and antioxidant value. If the value is said to be higher, the better the quality. Kashmir’s saffron has a deep crimson hue and strong aroma.

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The porcupines, which were once confined to the region’s forests, started venturing into the saffron farms due to deforestation, habitat loss, and climate change. What makes it more dangerous is that unlike other rodents, these nocturnal creatures will dig deep into the earth, seeking out saffron bulbs for food.

The farmers from Kashmir had said that they have already been struggling with erratic rainfall, inadequate irrigation, and urban encroachment on farmland. And now for the past five to seven years, they are devastated by the damage brought by porcupines. As per the Al Jazeera report, the loss has become up to 30% of their crops annually due to porcupines.

By 2024, federal government data showed Kashmir’s saffron yield had fallen to 2.6 metric tonnes, putting at risk over a $45m industry that sustains 32,000 families across the region.

As a solution to their prevailing problem, the region’s forest department had attempted an organic repellent spray last year. And the farmers thought that with the use of the spray, they would be able to keep the porcupines at bay. Though the technique helped them to keep them away for a while, they came back with the ability to dig deeper, as if they had adapted.

Some of the farmers even resorted to traditional methods such as placing thorny bushes around the field, setting up floodlights, or even patrolling at night, but none of them worked and the porcupines remained relentless. This is not just a local problem. Kashmir’s saffron is a global commodity. And the destruction has already begun sending ripples in the international market.

Iranian saffron, which constitutes 85 percent of the spice produced globally, has a lower crocin content than its Kashmiri cousin. As the production declines, the traders fear the Iranian dominance in the market.

According to Mir Muskan Un Nisa, a research scholar at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, the porcupine invasion is no accident. The habitat destruction and shrinking forest cover have led to fewer food resources. So saffron corns, which are easily accessible, became the nutritious alternatives. In order to tackle the issue, she said that the farmers must adopt protective measures like deep-set wire fencing, which extends 1.5 metres (5 feet) underground to make it harder for porcupines and other rodents to dig their way under them. Natural repellents and motion-activated sensors that flash a light or make a sound when animals approach, thus scaring them, are other options, she says.

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Apart from this, climate change too has added the challenge to the Kashmiri farmers. Warmer winters, which were once very rare in Kashmir, have helped the porcupines to remain active for longer periods. Moreover, wild predators such as leopards and wild dogs helped to maintain the ecological balance by keeping porcupine numbers under control.

The farmers in the region say that they need the government’s help to tackle the issue. Compensation for crop losses, subsidies for fencing, and long-term wildlife management policies would help mitigate the crisis. Once feared of the weather and market, now the farmers are losing the crops even before reaching the harvest.