HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): With the sunrise over the golden plains of western Herat province, the delightful fragrance of thousands of tiny saffron flowers fills the air, signaling the start of the harvest season.

These days, many Herati families- from children to the elderly- are busy working in the fields and their hands are scented with saffron. For m any of them, this season is not only a time to collect produce, but also a season of blossoming hope.

Among these sunburnt faces, Hamidullah Dehqani from Injil district walks through the rows of purple flowers with a smile.

He has been cultivating saffron for fifteen years- a crop which, in his own works, is“better and more blessed than any other cultivation.”

He recalls the days when drying saffron was a nightmare.

Speaking to a Pajhwok reporter, he said:“We would pick the saffron flowers with so much effort and would clean them, but when it came to drying, the problems would start. Traditional methods had neither quality nor speed. Sometimes the saffron would burn, sometimes its colour would change. Back then, all our effort went to waste.”

However this year, the saffron drying process is a different story for him. Using his several years of savings, Hamidullah has bought a saffron dryer machine in Iran.

He says that now, in less than ten minutes, his saffron dries with high quality and its aroma spreads throughout his home.

With joy, he adds:“We no longer have to wait for days. Neighbours also bring their saffron to us to be dried. This machine has made our work easier and has brought the people of the village closer together.”

In Hamidullah's face, daily exhaustion is mixed with the sparkle of satisfaction. He believes saffron is not just a product, but a blessing of the land and a bond that connects people's hearts.

Meanwhile, agricultural experts in the province welcome the introduction of such modern machines and believe that these facilities encourage people to grow more of this valuable crop.

Mohammad Jawad Amini, one of the experts, says that for years farmers dried saffron using primitive methods, which lowered the quality of the product, but now, with the use of drying machines, saffron was prepared within a short time and according to global standards, increasing its export value.

The Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department also supports the expansion of this trend and considers access to modern saffron drying and packaging machines a positive step in competing with regional and global markets.

Bashir Ahmad Ahmadi, director of the department, says that this year, more than 25,000 families were involved in saffron harvesting and in most areas, drying machines have been installed.

In the muddy alleys of Hamidullah's village, the scent of freshly dried saffron mixes with the evening breeze. Children walk among the flowers with smiles, and women in the courtyards are busy cleaning the red threads. Here, saffron is no longer just the product of the land, but a symbol of progress, hope and the achievement of farmers who have turned the earth into red gold with their own hands.

Over the past decade, Herat saffron has consistently been recognised as one of the highest-quality saffron varieties in the world and has repeatedly claimed top global rankings. Due to its excellent colour, aroma and flavour, it is considered Afghanistan's special brand in regional and international markets.

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