Scientific symposuim in ACSAD about Saffron
Scientific symposium on “Saffron and its prospects for the future, “organized by the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Drylands (ACSAD), at its headquarters in Damascus, on 26/10/2020; participants in the activities recommended the necessity for cooperation among all the relevant parties in the research and production of Saffron, agricultural extension, and dissemination of information and coordination.
They also recommended the establishment of a live Arab scientific symposium on the web on the cultivation and production of Saffron, cooperation with the faculties of agriculture, pharmacy, science, and medicine laboratories to identify the chemical combination of Saffron and make use of it in the manufacturing of medicines, and issuing a distinguished informative leaflet on the cultivation and production of Saffron at the level of Arab countries.
The participants emphasized the necessity of avoiding saffron cultivation in the strategic crops lands, preparing an environmental map for the regions that suit its cultivation, organizing and encouraging the work of the private sector and marketing saffron through marketing associations of the Agricultural Engineers Association and the Peasants Union, and the importance of preserving and studying the genetic assets of Saffron.
The Director-General of the Arab Center (ACSAD), Dr. Nasr Edin Obaid, spoke in a speech about the importance of this symposium and the recommendations it produced, confirming that it will be an action plan to move forward in raising the cultivation of Saffron and making the best use of it for low-income families in marginal areas to improve their incomes.
He pointed out that Saffron is not a new crop in the Arab region, but the Levant was the first land for its cultivation and production, as it is the most expensive agricultural products in the world, pointing out that ACSAD seeks to revive its cultivation in cooperation with all concerned parties in Syria and the Arab countries.
The Director-General of the ACSAD Organization Dr. Nasr Edin Obaid extended his sincere thanks and much appreciated to the Syrian Arab Republic, the host country of the ACSAD Headquarter, for its unlimited support to the Organization. Therefore can only be faithful to the leadership, government, and people of Syria, that had provided much support to the Organization at all times, without limits. In particular, during the years of aggressive war that culminated in Syria’s victory over civilization’s enemies and progress, which contributed to its continued work and the implementation of its programs, projects, and activities as required.
Many researchers from ACSAD, the Syrian General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, and the Faculty of Agriculture in Damascus University presented scientific papers that included a historical overview of this plant and its cultivation techniques and medicinal uses, the terrestrial Saffron inventory, the role of the private sector in the cultivation and production of Saffron in Syria, and ACSAD experience in Saffron cultivation and production.
The symposium was attended by the President of the General Peasants Union in Syria, Ahmed Saleh Ibrahim, the President of the Agricultural Engineers Syndicate, Dr. Rama Aziz, the Director-General of the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Dr. Magda Mufaleh, a large number of Syrian and Arab experts and researchers, and a group of interested invitees.
