KABUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan government has launched a comprehensive plan to expand the cultivation of saffron next year, in the latest move to boost domestic economy in the militancy-hit country, reported local newspaper Daily Outlook Afghanistan on Monday.
Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock will take measures to expand saffron cultivated areas to 3,000 hectares of land across the country in 2018, Lotfullah Rashid, spokesman of the ministry, was quoted by the paper as saying.
The saffron cultivation has expanded to 31 of the country's 34 provinces from only one province a few years ago.
In 2017, about 6.5 tons of saffron was produced so far against 6 tons last year, according to the report.
Afghan saffron in terms of quality has been named as the world's best by the International Taste and Quality Institute in Brussels last year.
In local Afghan markets, 1 kg of saffron is priced at 25,000 afghanis (375 U.S. dollars) to 110,000 afghanis (1,654 U.S. dollars) depending on the quality, according to officials.
The Afghan government has taken measures to invest in the agricultural sector to further create job opportunities and to boost economy.
Three decades of war had a devastating impact on the agriculture sector in the landlocked country.
