Foreign saffron sold in global market under Afghan label

KABUL Minister Naseer Ahmad Durrani termed as ‘insufficient’ the allocation of three percent from the national budget for the agriculture sector and claimed five tons of saffron produced in other countries were exported as Afghan brand.

Durrani expressed these views while briefing the lower house of parliament after he was summoned. Some lawmakers alleged saffron produced in Afghanistan was smuggled to foreign countries.

Durrani rejected saffron was smuggled out of the country and said saffron of other countries were exported under the label of Afghanistan.

“Last year Afghanistan produced 10.6 tons of saffron while more than 15 tons had been delivered to foreign countries as Afghan saffron,” he informed.

He said this trend was earning a bad name to local saffron production and had brought down the price of the local saffron in the global market because the Afghan saffron was of high quality compared to saffron of other countries.

Durrani asked lawmakers for support in stopping the export of saffron from other countries under Afghani label.

Lawmaker Ramazan Bashardot asked the minister to expose names of smugglers involved in export of foreign countries’ saffron under the Afghan label.

Durrani said: “The documents available with me will be sent to the lower house, so far I and my family had been attacked twice for preventing saffron smuggling, I have not been told about the names of smugglers but whenever I got aware about them, I will share it with the nation.”

The minister said all necessary information in this regard had been shared with the security and defense institutions in order to stop the smuggling.

Durrani demanded more funds for the agriculture sector and said the lower house should stress over the allocation of more funds to the agriculture sector.

“Allot us more funds otherwise the ongoing drought situation would bring along more problems in future,” he warned.

He said currently 111,000 tons of wheat had been distributed among needy persons and 60,000 tons more wheat was available in storages.

nh/ma