New to South Africa, saffron holds promise

Saffron is good suited to the adust and blistery conditions of parts of South Africa. Photo: GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP
Source: AFP

Livestock husbandman Joe Kroon turned to saffron successful desperation erstwhile drought threatened his livelihood and, arsenic this season's harvest winds down, helium is encouraged by the imaginable of a caller introduction into South Africa's farming catalogue.

"Every twelvemonth that we've planted, it's got amended and better," said Kroon, who started increasing the world's astir costly spice, mostly associated with Iran and Afghanistan, astir 5 years agone with corms imported from The Netherlands.

With astir 1 hectare (2.5 acres) nether cultivation astatine his workplace adjacent the municipality of Graaf Reinet successful the adust Karoo region, Kroon is among the fewer South African farmers pioneering cultivation of the delicate purple crocus and its precious reddish threads.

"Animals were dying and there's nary assistance from the authorities truthful I had to find different means of making an income. I started researching and 1 of the things that came up was saffron," helium told AFP.

"It benignant of exponentially grows each year," helium said. "At the extremity of this year, we're going to assistance the harvest and replant a bigger area."

His partner, Ross Blakeway, expects this season's output could scope astir six kilogrammes (13 pounds), astir treble the magnitude of past year. It takes astir 150,000 flowers to cod a kilogramme of threads.

Porcupines and rabbits

Farmer Joe Kroon weighs saffron threads harvested from his workplace connected the outskirts of Graaff Reinet. Photo: GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP
Source: AFP

Blakeway said output of their Karoo Saffron concern is lone for the home market, including section chefs and arsenic an constituent successful a condiment and a Pure Karoo wellness range, though determination had been immoderate involvement from Europe.

And portion determination is committedness for South African saffron, it is not a "get affluent quick", helium said.

The corms are costly and, "it's fashionable amongst the porcupines and rabbits, truthful you truly person to support your land," helium said.

Saffricon, which says it is the largest commercialized shaper successful South Africa with 7 hectares, besides began cultivation astir 5 years ago.

In the process of uncovering the close conditions, Saffricon moved respective times earlier settling successful the Piketberg country successful the Western Cape, said the company's accumulation coordinator, Tiaan Engelbrecht.

It takes astir 150,000 flowers to nutrient 1 kilogramme of saffron, the world's astir costly spice. Photo: GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP
Source: AFP

The institution -- which besides shares proposal and proceedings packs to imaginable cultivators, from home gardeners to commercialized farmers -- wants to physique measurement for section saffron to go a worthwhile export.

"It's been met with a batch of anticipation for being capable to diversify the crops that are disposable successful the country, particularly for people who person smaller plots," Engelbrecht said, though determination had been immoderate scepticism too.

"It's conscionable been perfectly fantastic to spot radical inactive being excited astir increasing the agriculture manufacture and being excited astir caller things," helium said.

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Source: AFP