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Tomorrow, on October 8, in the Bakhmal district of Jizzakh region, the grand opening of a saffron drying and processing plant—one of the world’s most expensive spices, known as “red gold”—will take place. This unique product is famous for its high cost, wide range of applications, challenging cultivation and production processes, as well as its numerous health benefits.
This information was reported by the “Dunyo” news agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.
The BMB-OPERA Zafferano plant was established in collaboration with the Italian company FIN.OPERA SRL. Currently, the saffron plantations cover an area of 700 hectares.
The total cost of the project is €103 million, of which €80 million are foreign investments, €13 million are credit resources from Uzpromstroybank, and €10 million are the founders’ own funds.
During the President of Uzbekistan’s visit to Italy in June 2023, an agreement was reached to increase investment in this project. In particular, foreign partners plan to invest an additional €80 million to expand saffron plantations. As a result, over the next few years (2024-2026), 1,300 hectares of land in the Bakhmal, Gallaorol, and Zamin districts are expected to be cultivated.
The products of the BMB Zafaron brand have successfully passed extensive testing in European laboratories in Italy, France, and Korea, and have been certified to meet high international standards for quality, aroma, and flavor characteristics. Moreover, the Dutch laboratory Control Union Certifications has certified the product’s cultivation and processing procedures, allowing the brand to obtain the prestigious USDA Organic certificate, confirming the ecological purity of the product.
Additionally, after several years of research, Uzbek saffron received approval for export to China. This opens up the world’s largest market for Uzbek saffron, marking an important step in the industry’s development.
Today, Uzbek saffron is exported to European markets under the ORO ROSSO Milano brand. In 2021, the export volume amounted to €1.2 million, in 2022, €2.7 million, and in 2023, €4.5 million. This year, these figures are expected to multiply significantly.
An important element of the project is the introduction of innovative technologies. AgroNanoGel Basic, a hydrogel product, was used on saffron fields in collaboration with Polish experts. The hydrogel helps retain moisture and supplies water to plants throughout the entire growing season. Experts claim that the use of hydrogel can reduce water consumption by up to 45%, making it a significant step towards optimizing water usage in agriculture.
This project for the cultivation and processing of saffron opens new opportunities for Uzbekistan, positioning the country on the international stage as one of the key producers of this unique and valuable spice.
The article may contain inaccuracies as it is translated by AI. For more details, please refer to the Russian version of the article. If you notice any inaccuracies, you can send corrections via the Telegram bot: Uzvaibik_bot.
