Is Indoor Saffron Farming a Scam?

You may have seen posts, news articles, and farmers’ stories claiming that people earn up to 5 lakh per month and make huge profits from indoor saffron farming. This story sounds exciting, easy, and motivating, is that right? But is that true or is it a scam? Let’s break down the basic facts about indoor saffron farming in a simple way so that everyone can understand.

 

In recent times, many companies and individuals have started marketing indoor saffron farming as a profitable business. They can offer training programs and equipment and advertise to make it seem like an easy path to success.

However, saffron farming is really as profitable, as they claim. Let’s discuss it in detail in this article.

We cover some Key questions in this article

1. Can saffron be grown outside Kashmir?
2. Is it possible to grow saffron indoors in controlled conditions?
3. Is indoor saffron farming really profitable? If so, how much can you actually make?
4. Why Haven’t Other Countries Started Indoor Saffron Cultivation Instead of Importing It?
5. Why do I consider Indoor Saffron farming a scam?
6. Should You Start Indoor Saffron Farming?

Can Saffron Be Grown Outside Kashmir?

Many people think it is possible to grow saffron outside Kashmir in a controlled environment. The simple answer to that question is yes, you can grow Saffron outside Kashmir in a controlled environment.

In fact, many people can grow saffron in a controlled environment, 2013 A university in Gujarat successfully grew saffron in a controlled environment, and similarly, in 2016, a farmer in Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) also grew saffron in a controlled environment but the main problem of that farmers is matching the quality of our saffron is exactly similar to the Kashmiri saffron and another problem is finding the market in the marketplace because many buyers are not trusted on the quality of the indoor grown saffrons.

As highlighted by farmers from Kashmir, who have been cultivating saffron for centuries, there are significant differences between the traditional and indoor methods of saffron cultivation. Saffron quality is dependent on the environment where it is grown, including weather, temperature, soil, and some other factors.

However, growing saffron indoors is not as simple as it is advertised. It’s a very complex technique to grow saffron in a controlled environment. The temperature during the flowering stage needs to be kept below 10 degrees Celsius. This requires cooling systems and specialized equipment. You will also need specialized lighting, shelves for growing saffron in layers, and other equipment. Saffron flowers are delicate and need to be handpicked, which requires a lot of manual work. This increases your cultivation costs and decreases your profitability. Moreover, saffron bulbs need space during their seed multiplication time, which is often not seen in online videos and marketing materials.

 

Types of saffron and their uses:

Many types of saffron are available in the market, each varying based on their qualities and yield production.

1. Kashmiri Mongra Saffron: It is considered the highest quality and premium saffron due to its deep red colour, rich aroma, and strong flavour. The Kashmiri mongra saffron is naturally grown in Kashmir and often used for premium exports because of its superior quality.
2. Iranian Saffron: This saffron is widely used for imports due to its cheaper price and it has high-yield production compared to other saffron, but it’s generally considered to be of lower quality than Kasmiri mongra saffron. 
3. Spanish Saffron: This saffron is known for its vibrant colour and moderate aroma, but it is not considered as premium as Kashmiri mongra saffron in terms of quality.

For indoor saffron farming Iranian saffron is the best option for you due to its high yield. Its qualities are considered lower than the mongra saffron but is cost-effective for you mongra saffron indoor farming would be difficult due to the unique environmental conditions required.

 

Is Indoor Saffron Farming Really Profitable?

You have seen some posts and news articles that claim that people are making more than 5 lakhs per month by indoor saffron farming. However this information is not entirely correct and is misleading the farmers.

The real picture of that information is:

• Saffron is a yearly crop, which means you only get one harvest per year, not every month. That means people talk about the ₹5 lakhs as the revenue that you generate in a year, not per month.
• If you have a room of about 200-300 square feet with vertical racks, you can grow about 1,000 kilograms of saffron bulbs.
• You might get around 1 kilogram of saffron from these bulbs per year.
• Saffron sells in the market for ₹350 to ₹600 per gram, so 1 kilogram of saffron can bring in about ₹3.5 lakhs to ₹6 lakhs in total revenue.

 

Remember, this is just your total revenue, not your total profit. You will need to deduct your expenses and cultivation costs like seed, electricity for the cooling system, lighting, labour for planting and harvesting, the cost of setting up your indoor farm, and some miscellaneous expenses. After the deduction of these expenses, your actual profit could be around ₹1.5 lakhs to ₹2 lakhs a year in retail (B2C).

If you sell your saffron in the wholesale market (B2B), then the price of 1 gram saffron ranges between 100₹ to 200₹ only, so that means the price of 1 kg saffron is around 1 lakh to 2 lakh and don’t forget it is your net revenue, not a net profit. From this revenue, you need to deduct all your expenses. After the deduction of these expenses, your actual profit could be around ₹50 thousand to ₹1 lakh a year in wholesale (B2B).

Important points to consider during Indoor Saffron Farming

• Climate Conditions: Saffron needs a cold climate to grow. So, if you live in an area that has a cold climate, indoor saffron farming is easier and cheaper. But if you live in a warm area, then you need to cool the room, which will increase your costs of cultivation of saffron and reduce your profit.
• Hard Work and Patience: Saffron flowers are small and need to be picked by hand, which means it is a time-consuming process. You will also need patience because saffron takes 3-4 months to grow.
• Cost of Setup: Setting up an indoor saffron farm requires a high initial investment in racks, lights, cooling systems, and other equipment. Consider this factor before starting indoor saffron farming.

Why Haven’t Other Countries Started Indoor Saffron Cultivation Instead of Importing It?

Did you wonder why countries like Spain, China, Saudi Arabia, the United States and some other countries are not growing indoor saffron in a controlled environment instead of importing it? If they have the technology to control temperature, humidity, light, and other factors, why do they not grow saffron locally and reduce the import costs?

It has many reasons why they do not grow saffron in a controlled environment. We discuss some of the reasons in that article:

• High Setup Cost: Indoor saffron cultivation requires high initial indoor farm setup costs, and you need specialized equipment like cooling systems, lights, vertical light, and other equipment to control and make the ideal environment conditions for saffron cultivation indoors. These setups are expensive, and the initial investment is much higher than simply importing saffron from regions where it naturally grows.
• Quality: Quality is also a major concern in the import of saffron instead of growing it indoors because indoor-grown saffron does not match the quality of naturally grown saffron, making it less appealing to buyers who demand premium saffron. Therefore, they prefer to import the saffron instead of growing saffron indoors.
• Labour-Intensive Process: Saffron is a labour-intensive crop because it requires many labourers during its cultivation periods. The saffron flowers are delicate and need to be handpicked. After that, the saffron threads (stigmas) must be carefully separated by hand from the flowers. This process is very time-consuming and requires skilled labour, which can be costly in countries with higher wages.

• Climate Challenges: Even in controlled environments, it’s difficult to replicate perfectly the natural conditions found in places like Kashmir, where saffron grows naturally. These regions have specific climatic conditions and well-drained soils that are ideal for saffron cultivation and contribute to saffron’s rich aroma, colour, and taste. The difference in climate affects the strength of its fragrance, the deep red colour, and the flavour, making indoor-grown saffron inferior compared to naturally grown saffron.

Why do I consider Indoor Saffron farming a scam?

Whether indoor saffron is a scam or not is a subjective topic because many people consider it a scam, and many consider it an opportunity. According to my research, I found too many reasons to be considered a scam. Some of the reasons are:

Exaggerated Profit Claims: Many people show the fake claim that he makes ₹5 lakhs per month. However, these revenue figures are misleading because saffron farming is an annual crop, which is why they earn a yearly revenue, and it shows net revenue, not a net profit. These figures can mislead farmers who might expect quick and large returns from indoor saffron farming.

*Net Revenue represents the total amount they earn from it, and Net Profits are after deducting all the expenses from it.

• High Initial Costs: Setting up an indoor saffron farm requires expensive equipment, such as cooling systems, specialized lighting, and racks. Many companies or individuals that promote indoor saffron farming also sell this expensive equipment and make profits from selling this equipment to farmers who are unaware of the true costs of that equipment.
• Costly Training and Workshops: Those promoting indoor saffron farming often offer training programs and workshops for which they charge thousands of rupees as a fee per day. While they promise to teach you all the techniques of indoor saffron cultivation, these programs often add significant costs to your investment without guaranteeing real returns.
• Low Market Trust in Indoor-Grown Saffron: Indoor-grown saffron is less appealing to buyers who demand premium saffron compared to naturally grown saffron. This can be a challenge to finding a market in the marketplace for indoor-grown saffron that can further reduce profitability.
• Unmatched Quality: The quality of indoor-grown saffron cannot match the quality of naturally grown saffron, as it lacks the specific environmental conditions, such as soil, climate, and temperature, which contribute to the high-quality saffron found in regions like Kashmir some indoor saffron grown farmer also sell the lower and cheap quality that he can import from Iran and another country by claiming that he grown itself in their farm.

Should You Start Indoor Saffron Farming?

If you have some extra space at your home and want to try something new for fun or to make a little extra income, saffron farming is a nice option for you to make a little extra income from the extra space of your home. But do not expect too much return, and don’t leave your job to do this. Growing saffron indoors can provide some additional income, but it’s not a job replacement.

In conclusion

It is possible to grow saffron indoors, but you must have reasonable expectations. Claims of earning millions of rupees a month are not entirely true. It takes time, money, and effort to grow saffron indoors. It is profitable in places with temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius because the cooling requirement is less expensive than in places with temperatures higher than 20 degrees Celsius. So, if you want to start, you should carefully estimate all your expenses, find a place that has less than 20 degrees Celsius temperature, and do your own research before starting.