HERAT - Participants of a three-day conference on saffron cultivation, currently underway in the western Afghan province of Herat, have urged for expansion of the cash crop as an alternate to poppy cultivation in the country, and finding suitable regional markets for the saffron products.

Jointly organized by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), the conference was attended by 250 delegates and experts from Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.

Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Mir Amanuddin Haider, said that saffron was being cultivated in 28 provinces of Afghanistan in over 785 hectares of land, 700 hectares of which are under cultivation in Herat alone.

Touted as the best alternative to poppy, saffron industry is grabbing Afghan government’s attention, given the high sales price of the spice and its compatibility with the arid Afghan environment.

Experts said the spice is certainly a lucrative business to the farmers, and owed to its ability to be grown in a dry environment; it may be a viable alternative for the poppy cultivation in the country.

Saffron is normally cultivated in summer and collected in the last month of fall. It is used in making medicines, adding flavour to food, appetizers, hot drinks and making perfume. It grows best in areas with light winter weather and dry hot summers.

Experts say saffron is yet to emerge as a major alternative to poppy cultivation in Afghanistan due to the presence of international drug lords, who control the lucrative drug commerce.

Source: Afghan Business News Portal