Saffron exports increasing, says Agriculture Ministry

KABUL (TOLOnews): The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said that the export of saffron has increased compared to previous years. Musbahuddin Mustaeen said that in order to promote the saffron yield in the country, 200 farmers have been trained so that they can expand the cultivation of this product in other provinces. “In recent years, Afghanistan’s saffron market was not good, saffron from other countries was smuggled into the country and exported to foreign countries under the name of Afghanistan, but after the Islamic Emirate, and with the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, the process has been completely prevented,” said a spokesman for the ministry. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that Afghan saffron has a good market in international markets and the export of the plant is also regular. “In previous years, saffron was cheap and its production was also reduced, this year the production of saffron is good and will reach 30 tons. The export of this plant is also going on normally,” said Khanjan Alokozai, a member of the ACCI. Based on information from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, last year Afghanistan exported more than 51,000 kilograms of saffron to the countries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, the United States of America, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, and Morocco.