30.10.2025 13:50
The saffron harvest is ongoing in Safranbolu, a district of Karabük that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The new product of the 'national plant,' which is registered with a geographical indication by the European Union, will be sold at 600 TL per gram.
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Saffron, which has a history of 3,500 years and is used in many fields such as food, medicine, and cosmetics, continues to be harvested. It was traded in Western Anatolia during the Byzantine period and maintained its importance during the Ottoman period.
ONLY HALF A KILOGRAM OF PRODUCT IS OBTAINED FROM 80 THOUSAND FLOWERS
Saffron, known for its benefits against diseases such as cancer, cough, asthma, bronchitis, skin issues, immune disorders, and hormonal imbalances, bloomed early this year due to the cool weather and rainfall. The flowers of the 'national plant', which is certified with a geographical indication by the European Union, are carefully collected by workers. From 80 thousand flowers collected and sorted one by one, only half a kilogram of product is obtained.
"THE WARM WEATHER SCARED US"
Saffron producer İsmail Yılmaz said the following about the harvesting process:
"We are currently in the middle of the saffron harvest. In fact, we haven't even reached the middle; we haven't seen the peak yet. Flowering is continuing at full speed. Hopefully, flowering will continue for another 20-25 days. We collect the flowers every day. The warm weather had scared us a bit, but the subsequent cooling and the rains we received triggered production. Right now, we are getting beautiful flowers. It seems likely that we will obtain as much saffron as we desire this year."
"IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL SELL IT FOR 600 LIRAS PER GRAM"
Pointing out the quality of Safranbolu saffron, Yılmaz stated that the demand for the product has been increasing every year, saying, "There is a lot of demand for Safranbolu saffron because the product is very high quality. It seems that we will sell the 2025 product for about 600 liras per gram. Of course, this will be clear at the end of the season, but the price currently seen is around 600 liras."
"WE STARTED DRIP IRRIGATION AFTER AUGUST 15"
Yılmaz expressed that they used a drip irrigation system this year against the risk of drought, stating that they achieved positive results in production as a result. Yılmaz said, "Saffron normally requires good rain around the end of August or in September. It needs to be moistened. It has been dry for the last two years, and this year has also been very dry. Since we could see this from last year, we implemented drip irrigation in our field after August 15 this year. We have started to reap the benefits of that; we are glad we did. Flowering started early and is going very well. Additionally, saffron bulbs are forming the flower buds and fistula buds for next year's flowers while waking up this year. In this sense, we have also prepared for next year."
Yılmaz also noted that the harvested saffron flowers are evaluated in different areas, stating that saffron is used not only as a spice but also in the food and cosmetics industries.
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