Centuries-Old Expensive Spice Saffron Getting Roots in Balochistan

WEB DESK: Centuries-old and one of the expensive spices has found a new home for germination in Pakistan.

It is no other than a vast and versatile land of Balochistan.

Originally, Saffron is the spice of Europe and Kashmir and Balochistan farmers and experts are not used to deal with this plant.

However, the Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) Balochistan is working on this new spice for the last two years and it is quite confident about projected results.

News360 had a detailed meet-up with the Director General (DG) ARI Jumma Khan Tareen recently and discussed the experiment, cultivation, and future of Saffron in Balochistan.” We are very much hopeful that Saffron, a high-value spice is going to get deep footings in its new home Balochistan”.

We have very suitable soil and areas where Saffron can be successfully planted and harvested, said Tareen.

DG told that government approved an experimental budget on Saffron project in 2019-2020 under PSDP for buying one hundred fifty thousand crocus bulb.”

“ARI has settled its experimental fields, from where aspirant formers are getting bulbs and entire assistance free of cost.”

Further, DG told ARI in five districts Kalat, Mastung, Zhob, Quetta, and Khuzdar motivated farmers to plant Saffron and results are tremendous.”Tareen added that drought in Balochistan is compelling them to look for high-value crops grown on less water, Olive and Saffron are on over priority list, he added.

Further, Dr. Muhammad Shakeel, Saffron Project Director Research, explained technical details.

He said that Saffron was a very tough plant, which can even survive in a temperature below minus 15 degrees Celsius.

Dr. Shakeel informed Saffron’s crocus bulb weighing 8 to 10 grams is ideal and months from September to November are the ripe season.

He said, ” Saffron normally takes three years to give good production and requires extensive labor while harvesting because saffron flowers grow in millions when they blossom”.

All flowers must be plucked in the morning before exposure to sunlight.

According to Dr. Shakeel, “We have plenty of labour here and most of families are involved in farming.

“The labor-cost is low and manpower is abundant in Pakistan as compared to Spain and other European countries.In Europe, farming of Saffron is diminishing due to high labor cost, Dr Shakeel said.

As per the researcher, the quality of Saffron in Balochistan is very good and the producer can get a high price for their crops.”

Meanwhile, the Provincial government is also very hopeful about the future and cultivation of Saffron in different plant friendly areas of Balochistan.

The Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan also visited ARI Quetta a few days back and appreciated the efforts being made by the Agriculture Department in this connection.

A great initiative taken 2 year back and with each passing year Govt Balochistan Agriculture Department improving on it and promoting it.#saffron is one of the most expensive crops in Agriculture

5gram for 200$…farmers of mastung, Quetta and loralahi may come forward pic.twitter.com/nIGTi8jPWE

— Jam Kamal Khan (@jam_kamal) November 12, 2020

Farmers and Growers Are Hopeful

Farmers and growers are also very hopeful about the future and production of Saffron in Balochistan.

While talking to News 360, Dr. Raza Muhammad a farmer and landowner of Bhagbana Khuzdar said that he got corms and assistance from ARI Quetta some two years back..

And now he is gradually getting a harvest of quality Saffron from his fields.

Ali Nawaz Baloch of Mangochar and Eid Muhammad of Zhob Districts are also hopeful farmers who have spared 5 acres of their land to plant saffron bulbs and are taking care of baby saffrons in their fields.If the efforts of Agriculture Research Institute Quetta are fully supported by policymakers and budgetary provisions are made available.

Therefore is hope that more and more growers can turn up to this high-value crop

And ultimately province can earn a lot of money from saffron cultivation as water resources are fastly depleting for orchards and other traditional crops in Balochistan.