Afghanistan bans import of saffron

Afghan government has banned import of saffron to encourage to domestic production.
The ban was announced by the country’s ministry of agriculture, irrigation and livestock which said that it had requested the ban from President Ashraf Ghani who approved it.
In a statement, the ministry said importing and smuggling of saffron from abroad was a major hurdle for saffron development program in Afghanistan. The statement added that importing saffron was the reason for farmers’ lack of interest to grow the spice.
The statement further said that saffron imports had caused a decline in prices of domestic saffron and increase in plant diseases.
It said that since Afghan saffron is recognized worldwide as best saffron, importing foreign types would affect the reputation.
Saffron production in Afghanistan increased from 3.5 tons to 10.6 tons over the last two years, the ministry said.