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Credibility Assessment
The article relies on named sources with direct knowledge: farmer Hamidullah Dehqani provides personal experience and quotes on using a drying machine; expert Mohammad Jawad Amini discusses quality improvements; and Agriculture Department director Bashir Ahmad Ahmadi offers official details including 25,000 families involved this year. All Five W's are covered with specific locations in Herat province, Injil district, and concrete details like drying time under ten minutes, supporting high reliability from a single credible outlet.
In western Herat province, the saffron harvest season has begun. Thousands of small saffron flowers are being collected, and many families in Herat, including children and the elderly, are working in the fields. Their hands become scented with saffron during this period.
Hamidullah Dehqani from Injil district has been cultivating saffron for fifteen years. He describes it as “better and more blessed than any other cultivation.” He recalls past difficulties with drying the saffron. In an interview with a reporter, he stated: “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.”
This year, the drying process has improved for Hamidullah. He used his savings to purchase a saffron dryer machine from Iran. He reports that the machine dries the saffron in less than ten minutes while maintaining high quality, and its aroma spreads throughout his home. He added: “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.”
Agricultural experts in the province support the use of such machines. They believe these tools encourage more cultivation of saffron. Mohammad Jawad Amini, an expert, explained that farmers previously used primitive drying methods, which reduced the product's quality. Now, with drying machines, saffron is prepared quickly and meets global standards, increasing its export value.
The Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department endorses this development. The department views access to modern drying and packaging machines as a positive step for competing in regional and global markets. Bashir Ahmad Ahmadi, the department's director, stated that more than 25,000 families are involved in saffron harvesting this year, and drying machines have been installed in most areas.
In Hamidullah’s village, the scent of dried saffron is present. Children walk among the flowers, and women clean the red threads in courtyards. Over the past decade, Herat saffron has been recognized as one of the highest-quality varieties.
