Saffron crop high in value, low in volume

Saffron flowers are picked individually in the labour-intensive harvesting process. Photo / Matt Tso

Harvesting of one of Central Otago's more unusual crops began last week and the yield for the season is expected to be measured in kilograms rather than tonnes.

Saffron began flowering in the Teviot Valley last week and growers have been working hard at the start of their six-week picking window.

Wynyard Estate Saffron managing director Wendy King said flowers began breaking the surface last Saturday and the team at Wynyard Estate would be trying to gather as much of the highly coveted spice as possible.

All the work she and her partner, Dr Graham Strong, had put in over the summer and winter months would be realised during picking, she said.

Wynyard Estate managing director Wendy King. Photo / Matt Tso

Last year Wynyard Estate moved its saffron corms (bulb-like plant organs) from its previous 1250sq m plot and replanted them on a 1.2ha site.

A bit of experimentation with the soil resulted in larger corms, which produced more numerous, bigger flowers, Ms King said.

Last year Wynyard Estate produced just under 2kg of saffron and the outlook for this year's crop looked promising, she said.

"It's anybody's guess (how much saffron we will produce) but it's looking really good."

Saffron is the world's most expensive spice and top-grade saffron can fetch up to $30,000 a kg.

Harvesting is labour-intensive and involves flowers being picked individually. Each flower produces about three red stigmas, which become the threads of saffron when dried.

The delicate nature of the flowers and leaves made mechanised harvesting impossible, she said.

The bulk of the world's saffron is produced in Iran, Greece, Morocco and India, while only a tiny proportion is grown in New Zealand.

Ms King, a trained chef, said saffron was coveted for the flavour it added to both sweet and savoury dishes.

High prices encouraged some saffron sellers to illegitimately increase the weight of their product by adding other plant material or drying their saffron in oil.

"It's the most adulterated spice in the world. It's amazing the lengths some people will go to to adulterate it. I've heard of people using dyed corn husks."

She had also heard of crushed glass being used to increase the weight of powdered saffron.

The News - Lakes District & Central Otago