Agriculture has long been seen as the primary driver of Afghanistan's economic growth. Saffron production was promoted by the Afghan government as a means of achieving economic development while also lowering the country's widespread opium cultivation by giving required support to its farmers through saffron farmer service centers. Saffron is the world's most valuable and costly spice. It is made from the stigma of the saffron crocus flower (Crocus sativus L.), which is harvested and dried to make the spice. Saffron is a high-value worldwide product that complements Afghanistan's agriculture sector's market-driven approach. Additionally, it is a commodity that may increase women's economic participation and productive jobs outside the house. The research investigates how the cultivation of saffron in Afghanistan aids in creating jobs and alleviating poverty.

Purpose:The paper aims to understand saffron cultivation trends and their economic importance also the employment opportunities that Saffron creates.

Methodology:The research methodology is desk research which involved a review of existing literature on saffron cultivation in Afghanistan and data collected from Comtrade and others. This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative methodology. The results from the data collected show that saffron has great potential in Afghanistan and could serve as an economic booster if developed. This research paper discusses the saffron labor market and its market structure, the difficulties saffron producers face, and the importance of saffron to the Afghan economy.

Findings:Saffron farming has progressively spread across Afghanistan over the last decade. According to Afghanistan’s National Export Strategy (2018-2022), more than 11,000 farmers are involved in farming around 5,200 hectares of saffron plots in Herat Province, which is Afghanistan's saffron production center. Afghan Safran’s export value has continued to rise, reaching US$17 million as of 2016. This was due to a 36 percent annual increase in exports over the last five years. A kilogram of saffron (about 450,000 stigmas) takes about 40 hours to produce and workers are estimated to collect 10 kgs of saffron flowers per day on average, earning them approximately AFN 25 (US$0.38) per kg, or $4 to $6 per day.

Research limitations: Owing to the Taliban's present occupation of Afghanistan, it is impossible to predict the future of saffron in the country due to a lack of knowledge. Given that women do the majority of labor in saffron cultivation, it is questionable whether women would be able to continue working or whether this position would be moved to males