UNIDO participates in project to improve saffron cultivation in Khorasan

Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Prov., Nov 10, IRNA – A senior official at the Agriculture Jihad Department in this province says a plan for improvement of saffron chain has been implemented with the participation of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in 21 areas of the two provinces of Khorasan Razavi and Khorasan Jonoubi. Mohammad Reza Qodsi told IRNA that the objective behind the plan is improvement of the saffron chain including production, processing, export and marketing which will be implemented in the two provinces for four years. In the first year, he added, the plan has been implemented in 15 cities and 17 villages of Khorasan Razavi and in three cities of Khorasan Jonoubi. “To this end 21 supervisors and experts of the plan will give cultivators the necessary training related to the collection and promotion of production efficiency up to preservation of quality from collection to drying the flowers on the basis of research and scientific findings.” He said the aim of UNIDO in implementing the project is to transfer knowledge of the experts in the area of saffron to others in order to improve cultivation of the product and thus improve livelihood of the people in the region. Qodsi said that training of saffron cultivators by the experts has been launched and 20 healthy workshops for saffron processing have started operation by using industrial drying machinery with an aim of producing safe and organic products. He said the plan will be implemented in the two provinces for a period of four years with the participation of UNIDO and its annual funding of 2 million euro with the possibility of an increase in the amount. Annually 60 hectares of agriculture land in Khorasan Razavi goes under saffron cultivation./end