An Introduction to Afghan Saffron

Afghanistan is an agricultural country and over the past decades of war, the only industry which has beard to stay alive in Afghanistan has been the agriculture industry. The soil, climate and the beautiful mountains have made the land a treasure for most of the valuable crops, one of which is Saffron.

Saffron is the world’s most expensive and exotic spice among aromatic and medicinal plants. It has been ranked to give the best harvest in Afghanistan. A lot of other countries produce saffron as well including Iran, Spain, India etc. However the quality of saffron differs from each one of them.

According to recent studies Afghan saffron has been ranked to give a better quality Saffron than Iran, even though Afghanistan is a minor player in producing saffron so far. Saffron business started 18 years ago in Afghanistan by male famers with larger landholdings. However, it is being promoted because it has the potential to generate employment, particularly for women.

Saffron has been promoted by the government as a legal alternative to the cultivation of opium poppy and many provinces in Afghanistan are now geared towards Saffron cultivation because of its excellent quality and taste. It has been said that 33 out of 34 provinces in Afghanistan that had grown poppies, the raw material for opium and heroin, now cultivate saffron, with Herat being in the vanguard of production.

Afghanistan’s semi-arid and sunny climate is very much ideal for Afghan saffron crocus growth.

At Red Gold of Afghanistan, we provide trainings to our women farmers and promote women’s involvement with everything, starting from planting, harvesting and all other processes involved in growing saffron to make sure it is properly dealt and taken care with. Once Saffron is harvested, we make sure this is packaged carefully adhering to the highest international quality standards, so you can enjoy its freshness with its beautiful aroma and taste.

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