Israeli Pharmaceutical Company Interested in Using Georgian Saffron

Sagarejo plantation is one of the first saffron cultivation farms in Georgia and it was planted on 1600 square meters in 2018, when the organic saffron bulbs (Crocus sativus) imported from the Netherlands were first planted.

"The idea came to me in the Balkans, where I worked as a representative of one of the international organizations. Our organization has supported the production of saffron in the conflict zone. They explored agricultural production on local lands and chose saffron because the market was overcrowded with traditional crops. I decided to bring saffron to Georgia for the same reason and from the very beginning I chose to produce an organic product, because there is a lot of ordinary saffron on the market. Saffron is highly valued and in demand, ”Rusudan Kharabadze, an EastFruit farmer, told BPN.ge.

According to the portal EastFruit, although saffron is a non-traditional and new crop in Georgia, the climate of the country is suitable for growing it. Moreover, global climate change is having a negative impact on saffron-producing regions such as Kashmir and India. The best places for saffron are the regions of Eastern Georgia with a relatively dry climate. Saffron production is more difficult in the high humidity regions of western Georgia, such as Samegrelo or Adjara.

"I have already contacted the Israeli pharmaceutical company, which is interested in buying organic saffron from Georgia. I will most likely continue to supply the pharmaceutical market in the future, ”said Rusudan Kharabadze.

Rusudan predicts the crop will double next year and then increase every year, while production will become profitable as early as the 2022 season.