Africa-Press – Eswatini. Plans are in place that could see Eswatini becoming a significant player in the farming and export of saffron.
Saffron is regarded as a product that produces some of the world’s most expensive spices. The plan is being spearheaded by the interests of Philani Maswati Charity, whose patron is Her Majesty the Indlovukazi, who has a keen interest in commercial rural empowerment. The project is to be implemented at Mliba in the Manzini Region at the 35 hectare Philani Maswati farm, through the franchise method developed by Saffricon Company, which is based in South Africa. Saffricon has now reached the next stage of opening up opportunities in saffron to other prospective farmers including those in Eswatini. Saffricon has structured an out-grower model by developing a starter pack.
Opportunity
Chairperson of Philani Maswati Lutfo Dlamini confirmed that the organisation is ready to take advantage of the opportunity to partner with Saffricon in Eswatini to have a pilot project, which will be performance-based. This, Dlamini said, will be done with the support of the Agricultural Research Station, before issuing a three-year franchise contract. He said the starter pack comprises 7kg saffron corms of different sizes for a 20-metre square planting (between 500 and 700 corms), fertiliser and pesticides like fungicide, a fertilisation programme, a complete production manual, a soil sample specimen bag analysed by NviroTek and Agri Technovation with saffron-specific suggestions, and the MyFarmWeb app to monitor data valued at E450 000 per pack for a quarter of a hectare.
“Saffricon will offer training to the Philani Maswati Charity team for the farming of saffron via the complete production manual. To become a commercial grower takes a large initial capital outlay, as the corms are expensive. Saffricon therefore decided to hire bulbs out to producers instead of selling them. They currently offer franchise out-growers the opportunity to hire 600 000 corms at E3 per corm over a three-year period. Approximately 600 000 corms are sufficient to establish one hectare of saffron,” he explained. He said the original 600 000 corms then go back to the farmer at no additional cost so that Philani Maswati Charity can again establish a hectare to continue production.
Corms
The corms, he said, multiply underground three times per year on average, so the 600 000 corms the farmer started with should become roughly 16 200 000 corms after three years. Saffricon then buys these back at E0.40/corm, which will net the grower E6 480 000 after three years just for the corms. Saffricon also purchases all the saffron that is produced annually. Once the out-grower delivers to Saffricon, it gets weighed, and each gram sample is sent away for ISO testing, whose grading determines the price. Saffron farming, also known as saffron cultivation, is the process of growing and harvesting saffron crocus flowers to produce the valuable spice, saffron. It is a labour-intensive process that requires careful attention to detail and specific environmental conditions to ensure a successful harvest. Saffron is renowned for its vibrant colour, unique flavour, and numerous health benefits, making it a prized commodity in the culinary and medicinal fields. Saffron is one of the most expensive spices globally, providing high revenue potential for saffron farmers. The demand for saffron in the culinary and pharmaceutical industries ensures a stable and lucrative market.
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