Saffron, the golden opportunity of Gonabad economic prosperity
Numerous and abundant applications and medicinal properties and various food uses of saffron make the need for special attention to the issues of production and export of this product more and more clear.
Saffron is one of the native plants of Iran and as the most expensive spice in the world, it has a unique and valuable position among the agricultural and export products of the country.
In addition to being a high percentage of world production, Iranian saffron is of high quality in terms of quality, including high quality in color, flavor and aroma, and this has led to a boom in exports of this product to various countries around the world. Such as Spain, UAE, Italy, China, France, UK, Australia, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Iran with 105,000 hectares of saffron cultivation area accounts for 90% of the production of this product in the world, followed by India with 5,700 hectares and 5% in the second row and Greece in the third place.
Although Spain ranks fifth in the world in this regard, but has been very successful in marketing and branding so that saffron in the world is mostly traded under the name of this country.
700 years old saffron cultivation in Gonabad
86,000 hectares out of 105,000 hectares of Iranian saffron cultivation lands belong to Khorasan Razavi province, and among these, Gonabad with 3,500 hectares of saffron farms has a special place in our country’s saffron production.
Gonabad is one of the very rich and quality regions with a long history of saffron production in the country and Khorasan Razavi province, so that the history of saffron cultivation in this city dates back to 700 years ago and now half of the total area under cultivation of agricultural lands The city is under saffron cultivation.
Out of the total annual production of about 19,300 tons of horticultural products in Gonabad, 12 tons is saffron and more than 50% of the cultivated lands of this city are under saffron cultivation.
Although according to the relevant authorities, due to the continuation of drought and lack of water resources, Gonabad saffron harvest has decreased by more than 70% this year, but the saffron crop of this city is still a very strategic agricultural product and has a special place in Gonabad economic prosperity. More attention from the authorities and reducing the existing problems can have a lot to say.
Due to the capacity of Gonabad saffron index at national and international levels, the saffron cultivation system based on the aqueduct of this city in the last three years was registered as the third world agricultural heritage of Iran in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other cities. Khorasan region, which is a leader in saffron production, has not been able to achieve such success so far, and this shows the unique potential of Gonabad saffron.
National Saffron Conference
Considering the position of Gonabad in saffron production, the 6th National Saffron Conference was planned on November 17 and 18 in the presence of officials of the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, experts and national researchers in this city of Khorasan Razavi, and this is an opportunity to review and introduce saffron production capacities. The city has provided at the regional, national and even international levels.
One of the saffron growers in Gonabad told IRNA: “Lack of water resources and drought have played a big role in reducing the production efficiency of saffron and has caused a decline in yield.”
Alireza Bagheri said: Saffron has a special place in providing economic security for households in urban and rural areas of Gonabad and a large number of farmers cultivate saffron as a single product or along with other products.
He pointed out that the reduction of saffron production in Gonabad has caused economic losses to saffron growers, and asked the officials of Jihad Keshavarzi and the Agricultural Products Insurance Fund to support the damaged farmers by paying facilities.
Another saffron grower and agricultural expert from Gonabadi says: Saffron crop in this city, due to its special capacities, plays an essential role in the employment of households and problems such as the continuation of the drought, the livelihood of most farmers in urban areas and Has negatively affected the village.
Ismail Hemmati said: “Considering that most of the saffron produced in Gonabad, due to weakness in the packaging and complementary agricultural industries, is sent raw to other places, the development of these industries should be the focus of the relevant authorities.”
Lack of long-term facilities with low profits to support saffron growers, lack of local markets capable of supplying saffron, harsh weather conditions and persistent drought, severe shortage of water and water resources, lack of pressurized and subsurface irrigation systems and attention to attention Traditional in irrigation considered the most important issues of saffron cultivation and harvest in Gonabad and said: the increase in air temperature in summer along with the problems caused by drought has reduced the production performance of this product.
A seller and exporter of Gonabad saffron, referring to the decrease in saffron production efficiency due to the continuation of the drought problem, said: “This problem has led to an increase in the imposition of costs in saffron cultivation and harvest for saffron growers.”
Seyed Ali Pakdaman, referring to the decrease in farmers’ desire to produce saffron due to the continuation of the problems caused by drought, expressed hope: Encourage more product.
He added: “Continuation of the drought problem has reduced saffron production in agricultural lands by 50%, but despite the reduction of saffron harvest in this region, it still has a special place among customers in terms of its special quality.”
He added: The saffron produced in Gonabad city has a special quality compared to the products of other places in terms of being organic and quality.
Another Gonabadi saffron seller said: “Despite the reduction of saffron production due to climate change and drought, the supportive policy of the 13th government and rural cooperatives to guarantee guaranteed purchase and increase the set price, play an important role in supporting saffron farmers and reducing their economic losses.” had.
Mahmoud Ghorbaniyan Riabi said: “The problem of drought on average has led to a 50% reduction in saffron production in the cultivated lands.”
He added: “For a long time, more than 90% of the world’s saffron has been planted and harvested in Iran, but now in other countries this happens at higher levels and the position of our country’s saffron has been shaken due to problems in recent years.”
A member of the Islamic Council of Gonabad city also said: this city has long been known as one of the most potential points in saffron production due to its special potentials and this product has played an important role in the economic prosperity of Gonabad.
Mehdi Saffari said: “Considering the special capacities of Gonabad, this city should be recognized as the center of saffron in the country and with the support of the 13th government, witness the quantitative and qualitative development of cultivated lands and improve the situation of saffron and its greater role at national and international level and development.” Be an export.
The director of Gonabad Technology Development Center also said: with the aim of supporting the quality development of saffron products, several knowledge-based companies are active in the field of production of biological and organic fertilizers and optimization of water consumption in this center.
Hossein Taghavi continued: “Significant scientific projects in the field of saffron are covered by the support of Gonabad Technology Development Center.”
70% reduction in harvested saffron
Director of Gonabad Agricultural Jihad, referring to the beginning of saffron harvest in the city from the beginning of November to mid-December, said: the problem of drought and lack of water resources and a 76 percent decrease in rainfall this year, which is unprecedented in the last 52 years , Will reduce saffron harvest in Gonabad by 70%.
Nemat Ghafouri said: “This problem has led to disruption of the physiological process and growth of the saffron plant during the growing season and summer, and reduced flower formation and ultimately reduced saffron yield.”
He added: “Every year, an average of 12 tons of saffron was harvested from 3,550 hectares of land under cultivation of this crop in Gonabad, which is expected to decrease to 3.6 tons this year due to the aforementioned problems.”
He continued: more than 450 hectares of farms in the city needed irrigation by tanker due to the reduction of canal irrigation, part of which is being done and water is being supplied, and the very high costs of transporting water by tanker have put additional pressure on saffron growers.
The head of Gonabad Department of Industry, Mines and Trade said: the small ownership of most of the Gonabad saffron lands in the conditions of lack of water resources has led to an increase in costs in this sector.
Hadi Izadi said: “Irregular cultivation, unplanned investments and insufficient attention to the consumer market and export of this product in different parts of the country in the future will create problems for farmers.”
Member of the Economic Commission and representative of Gonabad and Bajestan in the Islamic Consultative Assembly also said: Although most of the world’s saffron is grown in Iran, our country has not been able to account for a significant share of exports and sales of this product worldwide.
Mohammad Safaei Dalavi said: The total selling price of each kilogram of saffron in the world is 6 thousand dollars, but in Iran it is only one thousand dollars.
Referring to the holding of the National Saffron Conference on November 17 and 18 in Gonabad, he said: “We should take advantage of this opportunity to increase our country’s position in exports and reduce the bottlenecks of saffron growers and use regional capacities to develop the quantity and quality of this product.” Took.
Efforts to establish the country’s saffron genetic center in Gonabad
He emphasized: In addition to these cases, one of the issues that is pursued as an achievement of the National Saffron Conference in Gonabad is the establishment of the country’s saffron genetics center in this city.
The governor of Gonabad called the holding of the National Saffron Conference a good opportunity to introduce the saffron of this city to the country and continued: the capacity of all relevant departments and stakeholders should be used to hold this event enthusiastically and to increase tourist attraction and recognition. Used the saffron capacities of this city.
Hamed Ghorbani said: the weaknesses and strengths of previous national conferences, including the experiences of other executive bodies, should be used to the maximum to hold the national saffron conference in Gonabad as well as possible.
Referring to the establishment of the Secretariat of the Sixth National Conference of Gonabad Saffron in the higher education complex of the city, he stressed the need for more coordination of other executive bodies involved in creating a unity of procedure in holding and inviting the guests of this conference.
Recalling the capacities of Gonabad saffron index at national and international levels, including the registration of saffron cultivation system based on the aqueduct of this city in the past three years as the third world agricultural heritage of Iran in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), he said: Other regions of Khorasan, which are prominent in saffron production, have not been able to achieve such success so far, and this shows the unique potentials of Gonabad saffron.
The head of the Higher Education Complex and the secretary of the Gonabad National Saffron Conference also said: out of a total of 170 articles sent by experts and researchers from all over the country to the secretariat of this conference, 50% were approved.
Dr. Seyed Mostafa Mousavizadeh said: The Sixth National Conference on Saffron was held in the fields of production technologies and after saffron harvest, uses and applications, and saffron marketing and ecotourism.
He stated: Saffron production technologies including genetics, plant breeding, biotechnology, ecology, physiology and biology of saffron, planting, holding and harvesting technologies, pest management, diseases and weeds, resource management and production efficiency, production mechanization, Diversity of species and genetic resources and post-harvest saffron technologies in the sub-sectors of processing and packaging, phytochemistry, identification, extraction and purification of active ingredients, analysis, quality control and standards, and innovation and production of knowledge-based products.
He said: “Also, the sub-sections of saffron consumption and applications and marketing and ecotourism of the above conference are also food consumption, pharmaceutical use, pharmacology, cosmetic and industrial applications, knowledge-based economy and commercialization, entrepreneurship and employment, branding and marketing, export and global trade.” Indigenous culture and knowledge, including archaeological finds, agrotourism and sustainable rural development.
Out of the total annual production of about 19,300 tons of horticultural products in Gonabad, 12 tons is saffron and 3,500 hectares of the city’s lands are dedicated to saffron cultivation.
According to the forecast of the relevant authorities, due to the problems caused by drought, the saffron harvest in Gonabad will be reduced by 70% this year.
34,000 farmers in Gonabad agricultural sector with 20,000 hectares of irrigated fields, 1,700 hectares of irrigated lands and 500,000 head of livestock, annually produce and market 87,000 tons of agricultural, horticultural and livestock products.
The center of Gonabad, a city of 93,000 people, is located 287 km south of Mashhad.
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