![]() And it can take 40 hours of hard manual labor to produce just 1 kilogram of high-quality saffron. No machine can do the delicate work required to harvest these thin threads. This minuscule harvest means that the amount you get from each flower is roughly 0.006 grams. Each crocus has three small stigmas that have to be picked carefully by hand. Saffron is the red stigma of the Crocus sativus. So just what makes this spice so expensive? And the stuff you have at home in the cupboard could well be fake. Sought after for thousands of years as a spice, a dye, and a medicine, you need over 150 flowers to make just 1 gram of saffron. And real saffron can cost you over $10,000 per kilogram. Narrator: Even in the expensive world of spices, saffron stands out. It also calls for a testing laboratory in Herat.Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. The guide supports training to improve local skills for processing, sorting, grading and exporting, and addresses mandatory and voluntary standards for saffron. The guide is also available on the websites of the Afghanistan Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Afghanistan National Standards Authority and Afghan National Saffron Authority. ‘This guide will help all saffron stakeholders improve quality according to international standards.’Īfghanistan’s National Saffron Growers Union, which is participating in the quality management training, is exploring distribution in Herat, where saffron growers are concentrated. ‘The guide is prepared based on the needs of saffron producers,’ said Hashim Aslami, Senior Adviser of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock in Afghanistan, and secretary of its saffron development committee. To meet obligations set by regulatory authorities and buyers, producers, processors and exports must meet a range of obligations, from plant health to food safety and traceability. Saffron is susceptible to contamination and counterfeiting. The world’s most expensive spice could bring major economic and social advantages to the country – provided the country’s farmers and exporters ensure the consistent high quality that international markets demand. Meeting ISO standards is a prerequisite for entering lucrative saffron markets. The Afghanistan National Standards Authority and ITC launched the guide in Kabul as part of the push to produce high-quality saffron, with training on ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management) and ISO 19011 (Auditing Management Systems) for local producers, exporters, associations and government officials. It provides both concise technical information and policy recommendations. The new Dari-language saffron guide, called ‘At a Glance – Red Gold Rush: Managing Saffron Quality for Afghan Exports’, summarizes how to build a quality saffron sector for markets in Europe, India and China. ‘This is essential because saffron is a sector with high potential to create jobs for women and youth, especially in rural areas.’ Getting the information out in Dari will help farmers and exporters immensely,’ said ITC acting Executive Director Dorothy Tembo. ‘Quality management is a fast-moving, complex issue. Developing a consistent brand for quality is the key to unlocking a ‘red gold’ rush, a priority sector of Afghanistan’s national export strategy. Saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, offers great potential for Afghan producers and exporters. Financial report and audited financial statementsĪs part of its support to Afghanistan’s national export strategy and targeted training programmes to raise the quality of the country’s saffron, the International Trade Centre (ITC) has made available a guide in the local language Dari.Strategies Implementation Management Tool.Latin America and the Caribbean Marketplace Explorer.Entrepreneurship and strategic innovation.Trade policy formulation and implementation.Least developed country competitiveness.Information and communication technology and outsourcing.Visit world export development forum (wedf).The Consultative Committee of ITC Trust Fund (CCITF).Gender equality, diversity and inclusion.Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.Travel conditions for meeting participants. ![]() World Trade Promotion Organizations (WTPO) Conference and Awards.Micro Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day.
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