Saffron: harvesting ‘red gold' in the Karoo

Bennie Engelbrecht is breaking new ground for saffron production in South Africa through his company Saffricon. He spoke to Wouter Kriel about his journey so far and his plans for the future.

- Bennie Engelbrecht

FAST FACTS

• Saffron is known as the most expensive spice in the world. The high price is partly due to the labor-intensive nature of production.
• Bennie Engelbrecht advises anyone interested in saffron production to start with a small trial before committing to a large commercial project.

Bennie Engelbrecht grew up in the south of Namibia on the Hardap Irrigation Scheme, and planned to join his father on the family farm. After returning from his military service, however, this plan did not materialise, and he spent the next 30 years working in the television industry.

“But if the soil is under your skin, it never lets you go. I’ve always been looking for something unique to farm,” says Engelbrecht.

That “something” turned out to be saffron, and it took him four years of research to be convinced that the spice could be grown successfully in South Africa.

Iran is the world leader in saffron, producing around 300t/year. This is grown primarily by a large number of smallholder farmers, but last year a flash flood destroyed the lands and crops of 89 000 of these producers. In India, the Kashmir region once produced good-quality saffron, but there is currently suspicion that the product there is being adulterated. It is predicted that saffron will be a R22  billion global industry by 2027. Saffron also holds untapped opportunities for cosmetic and medical developments.