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HERAT CITY (SW): Herat on Monday hosted the third annual saffron festival aimed at encouraging farming and export of Afghanistan’s ‘red gold’.
Abdul Sabbor Rehmani, director for agriculture, irrigation and livestock, said on the occasion the area covered by saffron farming has increased significantly. He said last year an area of 2540 hectors was covered with saffron farming, but now it has reached to 3500 hectors with more and more people taking interest in it. Rehmani noted this represents an addition of 1000 hectors in saffron farming.
Commenting on the income earned by Herat’s saffron farmers, he said Afghanistan exported saffron worth $ 13 million last year, and this year it might increase further. He noted India, Singapore, China, Germany, the U.S. and a number of Arab countries have keen interest in buying the Afghan saffron.
Bashir Ahmad Rashedi, head of saffron producers in Afghanistan, said on the occasion that the government should help protect the image of the Afghan saffron in the wake of counterfeiting going on that could defame the ‘red gold’ of Afghanistan.
Taking part in the fair, saffron farmers and traders expressed joy over increase in its farming. Abdul Khaliq, one of the farmers, said that the farmers are content with increase in their income. Raihana, a female farmer, said a number of financial problems of her family have been resolved with the additional income from saffron farming.
Saffron from Afghanistan is widely acclaimed worldwide with a kilogram of it costing up to AFN 100, 000 in the country.
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