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For thousands of years saffron or Red Gold has been traded and used. Today it's the world's costliest spice. So expensive (and profitable), in fact, that the government of Afghanistan is working with the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and other partners to promote saffron cultivation as a potential alternative to the opium poppy. A report by Najib Malik and M. Hashem Aslami of ICARDA.
For the thousands of Afghan farmers who are economically dependent on poppy cultivation, saffron offers a viable and legal alternative. Development organisations are actively promoting saffron cultivation in Herat and other provinces.
ICARDA's saffron programme, funded by the UK's Department for International Development (DfID), is run jointly with the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, and other partners under the RALF Programme: the Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR, a consortium of Danish NGOs), Washington State University, and Catholic Relief Services.
Big profits
Cost and revenue data collected from farmers in Pashrun Zarghun in Herat province indicate that saffron gives far higher returns than most crops, including poppy. It does not compete for irrigation and labour with other crops because the cropping season is different. And it requires only two irrigations, which is ideal for farmers with small landholdings and little access to water.
On the other hand, saffron needs long-term commitment. The bulbs remain in the soil throughout the year, for several years. Despite the large potential profits, some farmers will be unwilling to tie up their fields for long periods, especially for a relatively new crop. Another challenge is that most farmers cannot afford the large initial investment to buy flower bulbs government...