According to estimates by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), 24 metric tons of saffron will be produced in the country this year.

A ministry spokesman says that information gathered from across the country shows that saffron yields are rising.

Saffron production in Afghanistan is expected to reach around 24 metric tons this year, said Akbar Rustami, the ministry spokesman.

A number of saffron growers say that last year their income was less due to the decrease in saffron prices, but this year markets in Saudi Arabia and China will provide good opportunities to export Afghan saffron.

Ministry officials say that this year about 8,000 hectares of land were used to grow the spice, compared to 7,550 last year.

Meanwhile, a number of saffron growers called on the government to find more markets.

We expect the government to work harder in this sector...so that Herat saffron can find its place again, said Abdul Hadi Nazari, a saffron dealer in Herat province.

We also have saffron from last year, which we could not export, said Allauddin Amiri, another saffron dealer in Herat.

Afghan saffron has sold for up to $1,000 dollars per kilogram in world markets due to its high quality.

However, according to a number of growers, the price of saffron in the world markets has decreased over the past year.