Kabul: Ahead of what is anticipated to be a bountiful harvest season, Afghans are looking at Middle Eastern markets to export the most expensive and delicate spice in the world, saffron.

Saffron, also known as "red gold," adds colour and flavour to a wide range of dishes in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, including rice dishes, seafood, meat, and a variety of sweets.

Saffron grown in Afghanistan is a staple of the nation's culinary heritage and has been acknowledged as the world's best in terms of flavour and aroma for the past 20 years.

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It is also less expensive than saffron from Iran and Spain, Afghanistan's main rivals, which costs about $1,000 per kilo. 

The Afghan saffron ranks first in the world for quality, and many nations are interested in importing it. According to Abdul Salaam Akhundzada, spokesman for Afghanistan's Ministry of Industry and Commerce, most Arab and Western nations place orders for Afghan saffron.

According to information from the ministry, Afghanistan sold 51,096 kg of saffron in 2022.

While the majority of it was shipped directly to India, the main international destinations were Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where the market is thought to have significant room to grow given its quality and affordability.

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The ministry and the nation's farmers are both optimistic that exports will increase after the autumn harvest because more saffron flowers are now being grown throughout the nation's spice-growing regions.

In particular in the provinces of Herat, Nimroz, and Badghis, we are confident that our harvests will increase this year, said Akhundzada. "We have recently heard reports that saffron cultivation has improved and grown (in scope) in Ghor and Helmand,"

The use of saffron in Gulf nations is enormous, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to Haji Himat, director of Shahana Afghan Saffron, a producer based in Kabul. In the near future, we anticipate an increase in the exports of Afghan saffron to these nations.

The creation of markets for Afghan saffron in each of the Gulf countries has attracted a lot of investors.

Even though significant future growth is predicted, sanctions put in place by Western nations against Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control of the nation in August 2021 have prevented saffron exports to the Gulf from reaching their full potential.

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Saffron exports have been impacted by the current restrictions, according to Himat, who also noted that Afghanistan's rich soil, high water quality, and dry climate are ideal for growing the priceless spice.

"Afghanistan has the capacity to produce more saffron than any other nation currently producing saffron.