MUSCAT: The first crop of Omani saffron from the commercial scale cultivation project under way in Al Jabal Al Akhdar is expected to be ready for harvest in November, according to Dr Masoud al Azri, Director General of Agriculture and Fisheries Marketing at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources.
Speaking to the Observer last week, Dr Al Azri shared the Saffron Oman project is currently in its planting stage, and is expected to yield its first harvest by November.
According to the official, the project is a result of the Food Security Lab organised by the Ministry in November of 2023, and has made significant progress in preparing the land for cultivation despite the challenging conditions of Al Jabal Al Akdhar.
The project’s location, which spans over an area of over 25,000 square metres, was chosen specifically due to its ideal climate.
Speaking to the media, owner of Saffron Oman, Ahmed Ali al Hanshi, explained, “The area is ideal for saffron cultivation because saffron is a winter crop that requires low temperatures, below 18 degrees Celsius to start forming bulbs, and then during the flowering phase, it needs a certain temperature for the bulbs to give you a dense flowering yield.” According to the owner, over half a million bulbs of saffron weighing over nine tonnes were imported from the Netherlands for the initial planting stage. The project will then rely on multiplying those bulbs to avoid future imports and to achieve self-sufficiency.
The owner hopes that commercial saffron production will provide an opportunity to support the local saffron market and expand into regional and global markets.
The project is part of the government’s efforts of boosting investments within the agricultural sector, while also establishing food security and diversifying the economy in alignment with Vision 2040.
The agricultural market in Oman is currently valued at around $2.11 billion, according to global market research firm Mordor Intelligence. The figure is expected to grow by 6.16 per cent in five years to reach $2.84 billion.
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