Saffron in the Room and Custard Apple

Dear Reader,

I grew up seeing my mother use saffron in sweets regularly. It was natural for me to continue the tradition. Despite using it for years, all I knew was that it was a premium spice grown in Kashmir. I never tried to find the challenges behind its cultivation until my colleague Wasim Nabi wrote an article in 2020 about the dwindling saffron production in Kashmir. You can read that story from our archives here.

Since then, I have watched the saffron farming space closely. Saffron production in Kashmir continues to decline and new-age urban farmers are trying to bridge the gap by growing the world’s costliest spice indoors using aeroponics. 

I spoke to brother-sister duo of Shankar (22) and Aastika Narula (24), cultivating saffron in Ludhiana, Punjab. They told me about replicating Kashmir’s climate in a 44ft X 14ft room and selling their first harvest at Rs8 lakh per kg in India, Australia and Canada. Do look up their story to understand how saffron moved from Kashmir to Punjab and can be grown in any part of India – in the air.

My colleague Niroj wrote an interesting story from Odisha. He spoke to Dilip Pradhan, who stole roses from his father’s garden and sold them in the market when he was a kid. The earning of Rs150 planted in him the seed for floriculture. 

Today, Dilip clocks an annual turnover of Rs50 lakh by cultivating and selling marigolds, roses and tuberoses. He is planning to expand to orchids and make the most of the rising demand for flowers within and outside the country.

Our other piece is from Maharashtra. It is about a man who rebuilt his life after losing his job. Mangesh Lawande was unemployed when the General Motors plant in Talegaon, near Pune, shut down in 2020. Instead of searching for another job, he began custard apple farming in his village Jejuri and learned to make vermicompost. His annual turnover is Rs30 lakh from just two acres of farmland and Mangesh is a happy man, helping other farmers.

Our Sunday story is on Taptapani, Odisha’s hot spring with therapeutic waters and natural beauty. Taptapani is not just a place of healing but also a haven of natural beauty.

Happy Reading!

Warmly,
Rashmi