Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: Abdul Salam Javad, the spokesman of the Ministry of Industry and Trade today (Thursday, Oct 17) in an interview with an AVA reporter, said that during the first six months of this year, 18 tons of saffron worth 20.5 million dollars were sent to the countries issued differently.

He adds that most saffron exports are to India, Spain, Saudi Arabia, America, United Arab Emirates, France, Germany and England.

Saffron, which is one of Afghanistan's most important export items, is mostly cultivated in the provinces of Herat, Balkh, Kandahar, Sarpol, Daikundi and Uruzgan, and Herat's saffron has a good global market due to its high quality.

The Chamber of Commerce and Investment also emphasizes on supporting saffron products and creating exhibitions in line with its greater marketing.

Before this, Afghan saffron was recognized as the highest quality saffron in the world for the ninth time in a global competition by the International Institute of Taste based in Belgium.

Not long ago, the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said that Afghanistan, as the second producer of saffron in the world, is going to harvest nearly 50 tons of saffron this year.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, saffron is grown in twenty-six provinces of the country, but nearly 90% of the country's saffron is harvested in Herat.

It should be mentioned that last year, Afghanistan exported nearly 30 tons of saffron worth 35 million dollars to India, Saudi Arabia and some other countries.

Currently, the price of each kilogram of saffron in domestic markets is up to 120,000 Afghanis.

It is said that more than eight thousand hectares of land in Herat are under saffron cultivation this year.