Farmers harvest saffron flowers in Kashmir during annual season

Farmers in Pampore, Kashmir, picked saffron flowers on 7 November 2023, during the yearly harvest season. Men and women work together in the fields near Pampore town in Pulwama district. The harvest happens once a year, from late October to mid-November.

Saffron is sometimes called "Red Gold" because it is one of the most expensive spices in the world. The sector gives jobs to thousands of people in Kashmir.

In 2021, Kashmir produced 15.04 metric tonnes of saffron, the highest amount since 1996. Production had fallen for many years because of problems like water shortages and unstable prices. The central government started the National Saffron Mission in 2010 to help bring production back up.