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Governor of Afyonkarahisar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kübra Güran Yiğitbaşı, visited the Medical and Aromatic Plants Application and Research Field of Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University (AFSU). Governor Yiğitbaşı stated, “Saffron could be a beautiful alternative for agriculture in Afyonkarahisar.”
Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Nurullah Okumuş, briefed Governor Yiğitbaşı about saffron, which was first planted last year and continued to be cultivated for medical purposes, as well as other plant species grown in the Medical and Aromatic Plants Application and Research Field.
Explaining that saffron, one of the most expensive spices globally, has a wholesale price of approximately $5,000 per kilogram and a packaged gram price ranging from $20 to $30, Prof. Dr. Okumuş highlighted that saffron is a perennial medicinal and aromatic spice plant, approximately 20 cm tall, with a weight 100,000 times its color and aroma source.
Prof. Dr. Okumuş emphasized that saffron, which is grown not only in Turkey but also in various regions, including Iran, Afghanistan, and Spain, has three-part stigmas containing color and aroma, making it a low-resource plant in terms of water and nutrients. He also noted that saffron is a plant that can be propagated with bulbs and has minimal water requirements during its dormant period in summer.
Regarding the impact of climate change on agriculture, Prof. Dr. Okumuş explained that the negative effects, such as hotter and drier climate conditions, increased extreme weather events, decreased water resources, severe droughts, and deterioration of water and soil quality, are crucial issues affecting everyone globally.
In the context of mitigating the adverse effects of climate change and agricultural drought, the selection of plant species resistant to these extreme conditions and economically valuable is a strategic step.
In this regard, as a first in the province in 2022, saffron bulbs were planted for adaptation and trial purposes at the AFSU Medical and Aromatic Plants Application and Research Field by our expert academicians, yielding promising results.
Vali Doç. Dr. Kübra Güran Yiğitbaşı expressed her satisfaction with the studies on medical and aromatic plants conducted at AFSU, emphasizing the importance of examining the productivity and quality of saffron in the conditions of Afyonkarahisar, given the low water usage of saffron, especially considering climate change.
Stating that “Saffron could be a beautiful alternative for agriculture in Afyonkarahisar,” Governor Yiğitbaşı highlighted that introducing saffron to regional agriculture and thus creating an alternative product portfolio for producers would be a beneficial step in terms of contributing to the economy of Afyonkarahisar by shifting to the production of economically valuable plants.
Güncelleme Tarihi: 13 Aralık 2023