As the saffron sector continues to expand across the country, especially in western provinces, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) said five processing centers, in different provinces, will be upgraded and fitted with new equipment.

Two laboratories are also currently under construction, which will be used for testing the quality of saffron and for detecting diseases in the plants, Akbar Rustami, a spokesman for the ministry, told TOLOnews.

He said Afghanistan’s saffron will also be exported to new markets around the world this year. 

“Seeking a targeted market around the world for Afghanistan’s saffron is one of the top priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture in 1397 (solar year) in order to increase saffron production,” Rustami said.

“Ensuring the quality of saffron is a key plan for the Ministry of Agriculture,” he added.

The Ministry of Economy meanwhile said increasing saffron export was a priority for them this year in order to boost the country’s economy.

“Afghanistan’s saffron should be exported under the name of Afghanistan so that everyone knows it is from this country. And it should meet the required norms in order to keep its fame in the world for years to come,” Suhrab Bahman, spokesman for the Ministry of Economy, told TOLOnews.

Figures from government show that there has been an increase in saffron production in recent times but only 50 percent of the saffron is exported.