Afghan Saffron yield reaches21 tons: Agriculture Ministry

KABUL (ToloNews): The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said that Afghan saffron yield has reached 21 tons this year—with 90 percent of the harvest coming from the western province of Herat.
A spokesman for the ministry, Musbahuhddin Mustaeen, said that the saffron will be cultivated in 200 testing farms.
“The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock has provided 200 testing sites for saffron and 200 educational programs and will also train 200 people in this field to defend plants from disease,” he said.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) said that saffron products worth $24 million have been exported overseas, particularly to India, in 2022.
“Their general price is around $24 million with the majority of them from India, Australia and the US. Most of the exports went to India, which was approximately $14.5 million,” said Abdul Salam Akhundzada, a spokesman for the MoIC.
This comes as the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said that Afghan saffron earns a high price in international markets but the lack of an air-corridor is the main challenge to exporting the product.
“There were good facilities in the previous years. We had exports to Europe and US.
This year, fortunately, our saffron is both high quality and abundant, but our access to facilities has been limited,” said Khanjan Alokozai, a member of the ACCI. According to the ministry, the saffron has been cultivated in nearly 8,000 acres of land across the country. Herat produces high-quality saffron that also has a good market internationally.