The saffron harvest season has started in Gard. But producers are already seeing a significant drop in yield this year. The fault is too mild temperatures, which slow down flowering.
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At the beginning of November, the saffron harvest should be in full swing in the Gard. However, in the fields of Nîmes, the situation is bitter. “We need cool nights, at 10 degrees maximum, for the saffron to come out”explains Yves Texier, producer in Camargue. Flowering was therefore delayed this year, and there were fewer purple flowers.
On a small plot near Nîmes, visitors discover the art of pruning. This is a crucial step. It consists of extracting the red pistil from each flower, the precious saffron. Jacqueline Brouillet, who participates in a workshop, testifies: “It’s really a huge job. We understand why saffron is so expensive.”
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Saffron requires a lot of flowers and patience. To obtain one kilo of dry saffron, you need around 200,000 crocus flowers. Each step is done by hand. This is why the spice is so expensive.
“For the past week, we have spent ten hours a day pruning”says Antoine Bogard, another producer. For these small producers, it would be difficult to hire employees for such intensive work in such a short period.
After pruning, the saffron must still be dried. This step reduces its weight by almost 85%. In the end, despite all their efforts, producers struggle to make a living from this crop. Many of them are retired or have another job.
READ ALSO: The most expensive spice in the world is grown in the Gers
This year, the low harvest further accentuates this difficulty. In Gard, producers are wondering how they can continue to cultivate this rare and precious spice.
