$21.5m saffron exported from Herat this year

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): The 8th National Saffron Festival has been held in western Herat province in the presence of local officials and hundreds of residents.

During the festival, officials of the Agriculture Department announced a surge in the yield of saffron. They said drought had not hit its cultivation and production this year.

Maulvi Pir Mohammad Halimi, head of the Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department, said last year’s saffron yield in Herat was 20 tonnes and this year’s harvest was expected to be more than 30 tonnes.

Mohammad Amin Yousuf, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said Herat had exported about 21,864 kilograms of saffron worth $21.5 million to Arab countries and India in last eight months.

Growers say the saffron is sold at a reasonable price in Arab countries.

Abdul Qadir, one of traders, recalled sales were weak last year compared to the previous one.

According to him, this year the price of saffron per kilo reached 80,000 afghanis. Farmers got access to appropriate market and sales were much higher than in the previous year.

sa/mud

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