Saffron Grows Well in Helmand, Ministry Says

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Trials to grow saffron in Helmand province have proved successful with the province's climate suiting the plant well, the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said.

The pilot project to grow saffron in Helmand started a month ago, the agriculture directorate said. The scheme also included some training for farmers interested in learning how to grow saffron. The pilot cost 1 million afghanis.

Some farmers agreed to grow saffron if they can find markets in which to sell their produce. Efforts to find markets both inside and outside the country are already under way, agriculture officials said.

"We have taken all the necessary measures in this regard and I am sure that we will find markets for our saffron," the head of Helmand's agriculture department, Abdullah Ahmadzai, said.

Helmand is the largest producer of poppy in Afghanistan and government and international officials are striving to convince farmers to switch to growing other crops such a wheat, pomegranates and now saffron.

Saffron plants produce one yield each year in other parts of Afghanistan but due to Helmand's good climate the plant is expected to product two yields per year.

One kilogramme of saffron costs about $3,000 in Afghanistan, $6,000 in the region as much as $8,000 on international markets. Growing saffron may therefore potentially be very lucrative for farmers.

"For farmers who own a small amount of land, growing saffron proved very suitable," one of the farmers who took part in the pilot programme said. "People are very optimistic about it.