SAFFRON

“It’s beautiful, tasty and expensive”

 ROCO Saffron

• 4 Generations of Exporting Finest quality flower bulbs worldwide;

• Expertise on Saffron Bulbs (Crocus Sativus);
• Roco Saffron currently contracts approximately 50 Acres of Saffron
fields in the Netherlands;
• Fresh cultivation and pre-treated for excellence Saffron performance;
• We don’t pick the flowers!
Saffron production
A HIGH VALUE SPICE KNOWN AS RED GOLD
 Only Crocus Sativus provides Saffron

• A delicate highly valued spice, with very interesting medical

properties, prescribed in homeopathy
• Saffron provides taste and is a powerful dye
• It is a corm planted at 15-20cm (6-8”) depth, multiplying yearly and
producing new corms
• Crocus Sativus is a sterile plant, therefore for over 3000 years pure
• Crocus Sativus has a reversed vegetation cycle, leaves come
out in September and the plant flowers in October, then dries up
in May-June next year
• Saffron flower is composed of 6 purple petals, 3 golden yellow
stamens and one red pistil.
• It is this pistil made up of 3 stigmas which when dried up gives
the spice saffron
Why grow Crocus Sativus for Saffron ?

• A beautiful flower, creating a beautiful & healthy spice

• Saffron the most expensive spice there is,
high value yield
• Accessible, easy to grow & biologically
• Very nice family business, very suitable to be
lead by women
• Low volume yield, high monetary value,
low investment required
• When stored well, Saffron may be kept for many
years & even decades
• Saffron keeps value when stored well, it may offer
a way of saving
How to grow Saffron? 1/2

• Seek well drained soil, heavy clay must be avoided, pH 5-8

• Saffron must be in a sunny place, especially in autumn during flowering
• Prepare the ground by tilling or ploughing (about 20 cm) and add some
compost or manure. If nitrogenous fertilizer is used it may be applied after
planting on the surface.
• Plant in rows or beds
• Crocus Sativus corms may be planted 15-20 cm(6-8”) deep, with
10-15 cm (4-6”)gap between, from July till mid September as 6-7 year crop
• If frost applies, deeper is better for frost protection
• crop will move upward over the years, new corms grow on old corms
• Keep the ground weed free; especially after planting
• Keep soil moist, water if dry in September
How to grow Saffron? 2/2

• Flowering during October month

• Pick and collect in early morning when flower is still closed
• Try to pick before flowers open to preserve quality
• Picking the stems at the kitchen table
• Drying to obtain marketable product
• Vegetative development during winter and spring
• Provide water for vital corms producing sufficient flowers
• Leaves dry out in May
• Every 5 years dig up and replant corms
Crocus Sativus – how it looks like
Precautions – don’t worry it’s an easy crop

• Predators: wood mice and voles are fond of the corms in winter as well
summer. Destroy their tunnels and put traps to limit their number. Rabbits
are keen on the leaves and flowers, they may be stopped by a fence.
• Avoiding diseases: by good quality well drained soil
• Crocus Sativus is not vulnerable for fungus on leaves, virus or lice
• No chemicals required i
• To keep crop healthy one should dig up corms every 6-7 years and
replant them all in another fresh field.
• It is better not to use the same field again for 10 years.
Financials

• Approximately 60 corms per M2, 15 cm

deep
• Watering during spring and summer when
corms are formed
• Conservative estimate 6-10 kg Saffron per
ha. @ 1500-3000 EUR pkg (*)
• Top growers may reach 15 kg Saffron per Low yield Regular yield
ha.
• Best is to plant every year a bit to assure Seeds 6000 kg @ E4.50 6000 kg @ E4.50
continuous production. Production shows
a curve over the years. Harvest 6kg @ E2000 10kg @ E2000

* Subject world market situation

Earn back time 2.25 years 1.4 years
Conclusion

• Red golden Saffron a high value spice

• Straightforward crop – no chemicals required - BIO
• Not vulnerable for leaf fungus, virus or lice
• Light work, suitable for the full family
• Demand guaranteed
• Saffron keeps value when stored well, it may offer a
way of saving
Crop Retention

• We retain large portion of our crop for continuous supply on

the market
• Crop Retention for big size bulbs
Fresh Crop

• We don’t pick the flowers

• Fresh Crop and yearly cultivated bulbs
• Improved Saffron Yields
• Improves quality of the bulbs
• Ideal for a long term Saffron production, Growing Saffron is a long term
investment
• Source of the Bulbs is the most important for getting started! What is the
history of the Bulb?
Small Bulb Size vs. Big Bulb Size

• Top size bulbs show better yields first year of harvest

• Re-production Capacity on the long term
• Available bulb sizes from 7/8, 8/9, 9/10 & 10/+ CM
• (Measured by the circumference of the bulb)
Planting Saffron Bulbs

• Crop Rotation
• Inspection Dutch Department of Agriculture
Harvesting Saffron Bulbs
Harvesting Saffron Bulbs

• Harvesting the Saffron Bulbs

• Washing the bulbs
• Grading and Sorting
• Pre-Inspection by the Dutch Department
of Agriculture
• Drying
• Pre-Treatment in our climate controlled cells
• Ready for Export
Pre-Treatment of Crocus Sativus

• Climate controlled cells

• Constant Air Movement for storage
• Drying
• Special Temperature treatment
after harvesting
• Improved Saffron Yields!
The Fields in Holland
Life Cycle of Crocus Sativus
Re-Production of Crocus Sativus
Southern Hemisphere Markets

• Climate controlled cells

• Special Temperature Treatment
• Australia, New Zealand, Chili, South Africa
• Shipping in January - February
 Current Trends

• BIO Premium on Organic Grown Saffron

• Co-operations
• Trademark (DOP), This can triple the price of Saffron!
• Increase side products of Saffron
• Increase demand for local grown Products
Side Products on Saffron
Some brands
Roco Saffron supplies
After picking the flowers
• FLOWERS GENERALLY APPEAR IN
OCTOBER (SLIGHTLY LATER IN THE
FIRST YEAR) AND LAST FOR A MONTH.
• TWO METHODS OF HARVESTING ARE
POSSIBLE.
• IF ONE ONLY HAS A SMALL NUMBER
OF FLOWERS, ONE CAN LEAVE THE
FLOWER AND JUST EXTRACT THE 3 RED
FILAMENTS FROM THE PISTIL WITH
SOME TWEEZERS. THIS OPERATION IS
CALLED TRIMMING. BE CAREFUL FOR
CONTAMINATION
• IN THE CASE OF LARGE QUANTITIES OF
FLOWERS, ONE SHOULD PICK THE
FLOWERS AS SOON AS THEY HAVE
BLOOMED AND THEN EXTRACT THE
RED PISTILS COMFORTABLY SITTING
AROUND A TABLE. THE BETTER OPTION
FOR QUALITY
• TO TRIM, ONE CAN USE ONE'S NAILS
OR SMALL TOOLS LIKE SCISSORS OR
TWEEZERS. TRIMMING THE FLOWERS
MUST BE DONE SOON AFTER THEY ARE
HARVESTED TO MAKE THE TASK
EASIER.
• THE YELLOW STAMENS AND PURPLE
PETALS HAVE NO USE.
Drying

• Filaments have to be dried out to be preserved for use.

• Drying can be done by putting the pistils on a sieve in a well ventilated
place between 40 to 60 degrees Celsius, for 15 minutes (well ventilated
food dryer, in an oven with the door slightly open, under the sun outside)
• When dried, filaments are very light and breakable.
• Fresh saffron, even dried is tasteless. It is recommended that it is placed in
an airtight tin away from the light for at least a month before
consumption. Saffron may be kept for many years under good
circumstances.
Active ingredients of Saffron

• Saffron essentially contains three active ingredients:

• crocin, which determines the intensity of the colour,
• picrocrocin, which determines the power of the flavour,
• safranal, which determines the strength of the aroma.
How to extend the region for Saffron?

• Plant depth towards 20 cms to protect from frost

• Fleece cloth to protect from frost
• Plastic tunnel greenhouses
Labor requirements

• Planting maybe done by hand in a furrow made by a basic

plow type machine
• Machine planting is possible, then capacity about 2 ha’s per day.
2nd hand good and simple machine in Holland 2000-5000 euro.
• Weeding by hand, if chemicals are no issue, chemical curing is
possible see next slide.
• Picking flowers by hand, taking saffron from flowers is manual too
• If all by hand 1 kg of saffron requires about 250-350 (wo)men hours.
This comes down to 3-4 gram per hour.
Chemical weed prevention (if desired)

• Just before coming through in the fall – STOMP (Pendimethalin), Cholide

IPC (Chloride Profam)
• In spring when weeds start coming every 10 days with 0.5 ltr Goltex
(metamitron)
• In de summer when the leaves dried out completely, you may kill weeds
with Diquat, Round Up, Glyfosate
• Spraying is not without risks and has to happen with the right
circumstances. To prevent accidents, take proper advise with an expert
agronomist.
Water requirements quantified

• Crocus sativus is known for its heat and draught resistance and survives
extreme climates, however optimal growing conditions provide optimal
production and typically to little water is provided in spring.
• Water requirement in September / October will be limited, keep soil at a
decent moisture level. The corm will sprout at its own power, not much
water will be required here.
• In spring the growth of the leaves will start, March and mainly April and
May the crop will require 20-30 mm minimal for optimal new corm
production.
• Sprinklers are preferred, drip irrigation is in certain areas widely available,
this works also. Floating is the last option of choice.
Industries using Saffron

• Food ingredient industry for colouring

• Flavor and fragrance industry
• Source: http://www.fragrantica.com/notes/Saffron-55.html
• Oleoresin industry
• Pharma and Homeopathic industry
• Most of it is sold as saffron as such we believe
The “world” of saffron

• Currently cultivated more or less intense in:

• Iran, India, Greece, Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Israel, Pakistan,
Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, Japan, Afgananistan and Iraq
• World production estimated abound 205 Mt per annum
• Iran growns more then 80.000 ha, exporting 137 Mt of saffron (parvis et al
2004)
• Saffron market is not transparent and different origins and quality have
different prices. Currently wholesale market is said to be between 1600
and 2500 Euro per kg. Farmers in Italy make Euro 20.000 on a kg basis by
selling with provernance.
Some pictures you might like
Reserve your bulbs on time!
5% Discount for early pre-orders

DISCOUNT CODE:
SATIVUS2017