UAE to grow world’s most expensive spice on region’s largest saffron vertical farm – News

The seasoning production cycle will span 3 months, from mid-August to mid-November, after which the bulbs are transferred to the greenhouse

The orange-yellow spice is collected from the saffron bulbs seen above.Photo: Provided

Earlier this year, the UAE announced a major push to build the world’s largest vertical farm near the Expo 2020 site to boost the country’s food production and future-proof its agricultural systems. It will also promote indoor urban farming as the next important step in the global food production cycle.

Taking it a step further, the UAE is now one of the largest indoor vertical farms for saffron in the MENA region. Touted as the most expensive spice in the world, the dark orange-yellow seasoning isn’t the most obvious choice for growing in an indoor vertical farming setting.

“Vertical farming is usually known for leafy greens, berries and more, but growing saffron is definitely a new concept. It’s a special crop and we cherish that very much in the UAE,” said Christine Zimmermann-Loessl, president of the Vertical Farming Association Agriculture . “Producing saffron locally in the UAE is a huge step forward.”

Veggitech’s factory in Al Zubair, Sharjah, a state-of-the-art vertical farm will produce high-yield, high-quality saffron in a UAE-first agricultural technology. Veggitech, owned by the Saudi-based SNASCO Group, was established during the pandemic as a leader in advanced technology. Pioneer, whose main goal is to advance the agricultural sector, democratize growing light-assisted hydroponic systems, and permeate the large-scale movement of urban farming.

“The saffron production cycle will span three months, from mid-August to mid-November, after which the saffron bulbs will be transferred to the greenhouse,” said Ali Abassi, senior operations and development manager at Veggitech. Over the next nine months, the facility will be used to grow exotic mushrooms, turning it into a smart indoor mushroom farm.

“Indoor farm facilities have smart built-in systems to manage the farming process and can be used to control temperature and irrigation systems,” he added.

Smart Saffron Indoor Farms also promises environmentally friendly measures to produce healthier crops, without the use of fertilizers and pesticides, reducing land use and minimum water usage to ensure a more sustainable production cycle. According to the senior farm manager, through the propagation process, each saffron bulb may produce 2-3 saffron plants. “This year, we’re just getting started, but next year, we’ll increase the number of bulbs to around 12-15 and shout better results,” he added.

“In an indoor farming space equivalent to 1 hectare, there are about 5 tons of saffron bulbs, 1,000 kilograms of saffron, and we get 1 kilogram of saffron,” said Veggitech Farm Manager Mohammad Rashid.

Harsh climates and seasonal changes have been some of the biggest challenges the Veggitech team faced in setting up the saffron farm, where integrating smart built-in systems for farm management was critical.

His Excellency Dr Khalifa Musabeh Ahmed Alteneiji, Chairman of the Sharjah Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Engineer, who also attended the launch of the UAE’s first saffron farm, said: “We are looking forward to seeing our own saffron farm. Growth , in our own country, a spice tasted and cherished locally, is something to be proud of for us. We can’t wait to see zafran enter the UAE. “

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According to Saleh Nasser Al Sorayai, Chairman of SNASCO Holding Group, one of the main benefits of bringing new age agricultural technologies to the UAE through such initiatives is food security. “With the support of the government, the UAE is the right place to advance this mission, adhering to the National Food Security Strategy 2051,” said the chairman. The stage aims to consolidate the UAE’s best position in the world on the Global Food Security Index by 2051,

“With the launch of Saffron Farms and the expansion of our indoor vertical farming venture in the UAE, we are working to create an industry-first project, working with the UAE government to develop educational programmes and production that will promote urban farming and improve food security in the country. “

Will this move lower the cost of the world’s most expensive spice? “In the future, we will certainly aim to reduce costs, but right now, this is just the beginning, we are developing new technologies. Hopefully through our strategy and planning, we will deliver more value through our production and through our costs,” added Al Sorayai road.