Shi Jiuyun/Xinjiang Daily reporter Parezat Abudu
"Saffron dormants in spring and summer and blooms at the end of October, and now is the time to dig seed balls......," said Patigul Turanmaiti while digging seed balls at the saffron planting base of Xinjiang Fengrui Priority Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. in Towan Kumukule Village, Keketiereke Township, Pishan County, on May 11.
On May 11, at the saffron planting base of Xinjiang Fengrui Priority Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. in Towan Kumukule Village, Keketiereke Township, Pishan County, Patigul Turanmati (left) was digging seed bulbs. Photo by Shi Jiuyun/Xinjiang Daily reporter Rezat Abudu
Saffron, also known as "saffron", is a characteristic plant of the same origin as medicine and food. Pishan County is located at 35 degrees to 39 degrees north latitude, which is the golden latitude for saffron cultivation.
In 2019, with the help of the village-based team of the Autonomous Region Health Commission, the saffron planting base of Xinjiang Fengrui Priority Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. settled in Towankumukule Village, Tiereke Township, Keke. "Combined with the geographical conditions and climatic characteristics of Pishan County, the task force invited experts in traditional Chinese medicine in the autonomous region to try planting, and on the basis of more than 100 Chinese herbs such as banlan root, chicory, astragalus, and saffron, after two years of screening, saffron was finally selected for planting." Qi Wanlu, chairman of Xinjiang Fengrui Priority Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., told reporters.
The reporter learned that the planting and harvesting periods of saffron and other crops were just staggered. In May every year, the saffron bulbs are dug out of the ground, and the seedlings are poured and then neatly placed on plates and moved indoors. From June to October, the "dormant" bulbs begin to erupt in the dental tubes, which contain leaves, petals, and flowers. At the end of October, the flowering season is reached, and when the whole flower is picked, the three red stamens are plucked from the flowers, and these three red filigree are the medicinal parts.
On May 11, the seed bulbs were excavated from the saffron planting base of Xinjiang Fengrui Priority Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. in Towan Kumukule Village, Keketiereke Township, Pishan County. Photo by Shi Jiuyun/Xinjiang Daily reporter Rezat Abudu
"Don't look at the bulbs now with soil, dirty, and beautiful when they bloom." Patigul, who has worked in Xinjiang Fengrui Priority Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. for 3 years, is very excited every time the saffron blooms season.
"We are all busy picking filigree during the off-season, and we are so happy to be able to work at our doorstep and have a stable income." She said.
At present, the saffron planting base has built a standardized saffron filigree cultivation workshop and filigree processing workshop, created a 100-acre standardized planting base, and formed an industrial chain integrating training, seedling, planting, acquisition and processing. At the same time, the annual saffron filigree picking period can drive more than 500 people to work nearby. Saffron planting also increased the collective economy of Towan Kumukule Village by 100,000 yuan.
Saffron in full bloom at the saffron planting base of Xinjiang Fengrui Priority Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. (photographed in October 2023). Courtesy of the company
Saffron is a precious medicinal material, which can be sold for more than 200 yuan per gram of finished product. At present, in addition to the most common saffron filigree, the company has also developed products such as saffron wine and saffron drink. In addition, the purple saffron after the filigree is harvested and dried and becomes feed for the sheep. Qi Wanlu said that next, the company will rely on the 100 acres of saffron planting base to drive farmers to learn saffron planting technology, let farmers participate in saffron planting, and strive to build a thousand acres of saffron plantation in Pishan County.
In recent years, Pishan County has taken the expansion and strengthening of the characteristic planting industry as the starting point to promote economic development and solve the "three rural" problems, adjust the structure, expand the scale, increase the efficiency, and the development momentum of the characteristic planting industry is full. This year, Pishan County plans to plant 73,000 acres of special cash crops.