This woman grows saffron in 100 sq ft room, sells at Rs10 lakh per kg

Sometime in 2022, when Sujata Agarwal was using saffron while offering her daily prayers, a thought crossed her mind. She wondered about the pricing and cultivation of saffron, the world’s costliest spice synonymous with Kashmir.

“I searched the internet and found plenty of information on saffron cultivation, including its indoor farming. It interested me and I told my husband I wanted to try saffron farming,” says Sujata, who lives in Jharsuguda, Odisha.

Jharsuguda is an industrial hub, consisting mainly of metallurgical industries and urban farming is yet to take root in the area. “There was no precedent of indoor saffron farming using aeroponics here, but I decided to start without formal training. It was a big risk, but I was determined,” she tells 30Stades. 

Aeroponics involves growing plants in an air or mist environment without using any substrate like soil or water. 

Aeroponics saffron farming is gaining popularity due to declining production in Kashmir, the low cost of indoor cultivation and good market rates of up to Rs1,000 per gm.

India's annual saffron demand is around 100 tonnes but the domestic production is only around 5 to 7 tonnes, mainly from Jammu and Kashmir. The remaining demand is met by imports from Iran, Spain, and China, indicating a huge market for the spice in India.

Also Read: Pune man grows saffron on terrace, sells at Rs6 lakh per kg

Growing saffron in a 100 sq ft room

Sujata had a 100 sq ft room on the terrace. “I put up chillers to create a Kashmir-like climate. I put up racks for trays to grow saffron using aeroponics but did not modify the room,” the woman entrepreneur says.

Sujata procured saffron bulbs (seeds) from Kashmir and named her venture Bloom in Hydro. “I bought 250 kg bulbs at Rs1000 per kg, investing Rs2.5 lakh,” she says.

The four main parameters of indoor saffron farming are temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels and light. Saffron requires humidity levels between 40 percent and 70 percent depending on the growth stage.

A humidifier is required to maintain humidity levels and in places with high humidity, one needs a de-humidifier. 

“I invested in a dehumidifier but never used it because the humidity levels here were conducive for saffron growth. One should be careful before making investments,” says Sujata, who also trains people in saffron farming.

She put up the bulbs in trays. “The bulbs are placed in trays after removing any soil or debris. Exposed roots can easily receive adequate airflow and mist through which the bulbs receive nutrients,” she says.

Also Read: Himachal farmer grows saffron in 300 sq ft unit; sells at Rs5 lakh per kg

The shoots appear in about 15 days after planting them in trays. After about seven weeks, saffron bulbs begin producing flowers. 

“I harvest saffron twice a year, producing 450 gm in each batch. My total annual production is around 900 gm, which sells for Rs 9 lakh (at Rs10 lakh per kg),” she says.

The first harvest begins in late October and Sujata harvests again in February. “I have developed a method to harvest saffron twice a year,” she says.

Zero-waste saffron farming

After harvesting in October, the bulbs are put back into the soil to multiply and produce daughter bulbs. “The bulbs multiply annually at the rate of 1.5 times. So the production can grow every year,” she says.

“In the first year, there won’t be any profit and in the second year, there will be a small profit. From the third year, the production goes up and the profits also increase,” Sujata points out.

Each flower produces three red stigmas, which are the saffron threads. The remaining flower has purple petals and a yellow anther (patti saffron) used in medicines, cosmetic products and food preparations. 

“Apart from selling saffron, I also earn by processing the leaves and patti saffron. I make saffron 'kahwa' tea masala and a hair and skin serum. The products are handmade without using machines,” Sujata says.

She sells the serum in a 30 ml bottle with a shelf life of 1.5 months. “I sell around 270 bottles per month at Rs400 each, earning around Rs1.19 lakh per month. The kahwa tea is priced at Rs2500 per kg and she sells around five kg per month, earning around Rs 13,000 a month.

“My annual income from saffron, kahwa and serum is Rs24 lakh, all from this 100 sq ft room,” she says.

Sujata, who trains people in saffron farming, says, “A 100 sq ft lab can be set up with an investment of Rs5 lakh to Rs6 lakh, including bulbs. I provide handholding to my students for one year.”

(Rashmi Pratap is a Mumbai- based journalist specialising in financial, business and socio-economic reporting)

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