Azerbaijan can resume saffron cultivation, expert says

Azerbaijan with its favorable climatic conditions can resume the cultivation of saffron, says Nariman Agayev.

The Chairman for Research on Sustainable Development Center told local media that the best and most favorable territories for the cultivation of saffron in Azerbaijan are Bilgah, Gobustan, and southern regions of the country, that is, in sandy areas.

"There was a farm in Azerbaijan engaged in the cultivation of saffron, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the facility was privatized and then completely fell into disrepair. Today, only small entrepreneurs cultivate saffron in Azerbaijan, but its amount is insufficient to meet the needs of the domestic market,” the expert noted.

Today Azerbaijan purchases saffron, the king of spices and the spice of kings, from neighboring Iran.

"All saffron, being sold in the capital's supermarkets, is produced in Iran," he said. "However, its quality is significantly worse than the Azerbaijani saffron, no flavor, and weaker color. This is due to the fact that this plant is treated with fertilizers, chemicals in Iran, but we are cultivating a natural product."

The expert believes that Azerbaijan can earn huge revenues from selling saffron. A ton of saffron would bring Azerbaijan about 10 million manats ($9.53 million).

Saffron is the only spice, the price of which has not declined since the Middle Ages, when a pound of saffron could have been exchanged for the Arabian horse.

The spice’s name in all languages derives from the Arabic word "za'faran" (yellow), indicating that saffron was primarily used as a dye. Although saffron has lost its former importance and is only used in cooking in the modern world, it is as valuable as gold. Every year only 300 tons of saffron is produced in the world.

Mankind has known of saffron for over 4,000 years. Dyes created from saffron were used in Neolithic cave paintings. The first traces of its use in food were found in Mesopotamia, and the first written reference was observed in Sumerian civilization.

Persians weaved saffron threads in fabric for sacrifices and made perfumes and aromatic oils from its leaves in the 10th century BC to use as a powerful aphrodisiac. The army of Alexander the Great used saffron to treat wounds. Saffron is also mentioned as an element of sacrifice, dye, and fragrance in the Old Testament.

Saffron was referred to in ancient Chinese sources as a medicine. The color of saffron was the color of the clothes of Buddhist monks in the east, while in Europe, it was a sign of wealth and high social status. Roman nobility used saffron as a medicine, a dye for fabric and leather, and an aromatic spice.

The Bourbons used saffron flowers in heraldry. There is a town called Saffron in the English county of Essex that was named after saffron fields, which brought considerable revenues to the treasury.

Azerbaijan is one of the oldest producers of saffron (Crocus sativus) in the world. According to written accounts, saffron was cultivated in some regions of Azerbaijan more than a thousand years ago, the practice having been introduced from Asia Minor and Persia. Historians, however, have been unable to determine a more precise period for the appearance of saffron cultivation in Azerbaijan. Saffron sprouts have been found on the foothills of the Greater Caucasus Mountain range in Azerbaijan.

Before 1917, some 150 acres had been allocated for the production of saffron and its export put Azerbaijan in a significant place in world markets.

Today, the Azerbaijani government has embarked on measures to develop the production of saffron in the country.

"A scientific fund operates under the President of Azerbaijan," Agayev went on saying. "Last year, the fund allocated 100,000 manats ($95,310) to research aimed at developing and adapting new varieties of saffron. It shows that the government is interested in the restoration of industrial production of saffron in our country. Moreover, its production is very cost-effective. One gram of saffron is sold for 10 manats ($9.53) in the Azerbaijani market.

Given the fact that saffron is widely used in Azerbaijani cuisine, there will not be any problem with demand in the domestic market, he noted.

"There is a great demand for Azerbaijani saffron in the Baltic countries and Italy," the expert added.

Agayev believes that today, it is quite possible for Azerbaijan to produce 5-10 tons of saffron per year.

"I have offered a gram for 15 euros in Europe, and they agreed to that price," Agayev said. "Given the fact that 5-10 tons are equal to 5-10 million grams, Azerbaijan's industrial production of saffron can potentially fetch 75-150 million manats ($71.5-$143 million) a year."

The Chairman of the Green Movement of Azerbaijan, Farida Huseynova, told local media that Azerbaijan's semi-desert areas are most suitable for cultivating saffron.

"For example, this plant can be cultivated in Imishli and Saatli, but adaptation of the plant and soil and climatic conditions should be taken into account. Despite the fact that Iran produces a lot of saffron, Azerbaijani saffron differs for its high quality," she added.

Huseynova also said saffron can grow everywhere, but not all plants will produce the yellow stamens that are needed for high quality saffron.