Afghan Farmers Grow Saffron Instead of Poppies

Posted by Christine Welter Jun 26, 2009

Years of warfare have left Afghan farmers with few alternatives to growing narcotics. Some farmers, who are looking for an alternative to opium poppies, started growing saffron. Saffron is a spice derived from the dried stigma of the flower of the saffron crocus. It is one of the world's most expensive spices.

DACAAR, the Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees, has been sponsoring a saffron cultivation program in Herat Province since 2004. Soil and climate conditions are optimal in Western Afghanistan for saffron, and it has the potential to generate a good income for farmers.

The government of Herat distributes saffron bulbs free of charge to those willing to make the switch.

"Saffron does not need a lot of water," says a local farmer. "It does not need a lot of fertilizer, and you need fewer people to harvest it." Also, he added, the bulbs, once planted, are productive for six years.

Saffron has a history in Herat stretching back more than 80 years. The first plants were cultivated in the Hauz-e-Karbos area of the province, and in 1973-74 the government conducted experiments in saffron cultivation. Then came the war and the project died. In the early 1990s as Afghan refugees returned from Iran, they brought saffron bulbs with them.

Farooq Faizi : Afghan Farmers Ditch Opium for Saffron

DACAAR supports the development of sustainable livelihoods for rural Afghans.