This photo taken on Jan. 8, 2026 shows a businessman weighing saffron threads at a shop in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan has exported 38 tons of saffron in 2025, generating more than 67.5 million U.S. dollars in revenue, with 95 percent of the premium spice produced in western Herat province, the country's saffron growers union announced on Wednesday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
KABUL, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan has exported 38 tons of saffron in 2025, generating more than 67.5 million U.S. dollars in revenue, with 95 percent of the premium spice produced in western Herat province, the country's saffron growers union announced on Wednesday.
The entire harvest was shipped to markets in Europe, the Arab world, and the Americas, according to Ibrahim Adeel, head of the union.
Saffron is currently cultivated on almost 12,000 hectares of land across the country, with around 10,500 hectares located in Herat province, said Adeel.
Meanwhile, Afghan saffron has once again secured the top global ranking for quality for the 10th time, as determined by an international tasting institute headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
Saffron ranks among Afghanistan's leading exports, alongside coal, fresh and dried fruits, hand-woven carpets, and precious and semi-precious stones.
Known locally as "red gold," the high-value crop continues to draw increasing numbers of farmers due to its strong profitability. One kg of saffron currently sells for around 100,000 afghanis (about 1,509 dollars) on the domestic market, with prices showing a steady upward trend. ■
This photo taken on Jan. 8, 2026 shows saffron threads in vials at a shop in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan has exported 38 tons of saffron in 2025, generating more than 67.5 million U.S. dollars in revenue, with 95 percent of the premium spice produced in western Herat province, the country's saffron growers union announced on Wednesday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
This photo taken on Jan. 8, 2026 shows a businessman transferring saffron threads into a small vial with tweezers at a shop in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan has exported 38 tons of saffron in 2025, generating more than 67.5 million U.S. dollars in revenue, with 95 percent of the premium spice produced in western Herat province, the country's saffron growers union announced on Wednesday. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
