Saffron Harvest Season, Our Story, Our Numbers & Progress

Hello dear friends of Heray Spice!

It's Mohammad Salehi, the founder& co-owner of Heray Spice, reaching out to you with exciting updates from the saffron fields of Herat, Afghanistan.

For those who haven't met me yet, I'm deeply rooted in Herat, where I spent the first 21 years of my life. My journey led me to serve as a Local Military Linguist for the US Army & US Marines at Camp Stone in Herat, Afghanistan from 2010 - 2014.

I grew up in a farming family in Herat Afghanistan. My family like most other Afghans has been farming for many generations. My family still have 6 acres of farmland in Pashtoon Zarghon district of Herat. This is in the western region of Afghanistan.

Since 2007, we have been cultivating saffron in our farm. Before that we had cultivated barely, potato, and spinach.

Herat province is the main source of saffron, more than 90% of Afghanistan’s saffron are grown and imported out of this region. As a whole Afghanistan is an agricultural economy. It is the main source of income for 80% of Afghanistan population.

As I grew up, I noticed the struggles of my family and other family farmers. They make the least amount of money from their crops. Even making a basic living is not affordable.

We did a survey in 2022 by interviewing 300 farmers in Afghanistan, India, and Sri Lanka. And we noticed that farmers are making less than 7% of the money from spice supply chain. For example, when you buy a spice jar for $10 in a grocery Store, less than $0.70 of that goes to a farmer.

We believe this is not fair, and I want to change that. Also, I always wanted to stay connected to my home country, and tell the stories of the farmers, and helping them with fair wages and better living. That is why I started Heray Spice.

While being in college back in 2017, I founded Heray. 

It is more than a spice brand for me, it is a platform and a cooperative of farmers. We are here to help them make better income while supplying the freshest spices to the world.

Our mission is rooted in rebuilding Afghanistan’s agricultural economy.

After decades of conflict, the region needed new opportunities for growth and recovery. By creating a spice company centered around Afghanistan’s world-renowned saffron and spices, we are not only showcases the finest saffron to the global market but also empowering the local farmers of Afghanistan.

We are a fair-trade company, NON-GMO verified, and we are importing spices from sustainable farming methods of Afghanistan. I believe we can help the farmers and create better community development.

I founded this company to honor the deep cultural heritage of Afghanistan and agriculture while offering the highest quality products.

Through saffron, Heray Spice offers a window into the Afghanistan that is often overlooked—a land of hope, resilience, and endless potential.

Afghan saffron has been recognized as the world’s highest quality saffron for the ninth time by the prestigious InternationalTaste Institute in Belgium.

Competing against saffron from Spain, Iran, and other major saffron producers, Afghanistan’s saffron consistently takes home the top honors.

This recognition is a testament to the hard work of the farmers, the meticulous attention to detail in the processing, and the quality of the soil and climate in Herat.

Our saffron is used at Michelin-starred chefs, food enthusiasts, and health-conscious consumers alike. In the last year alone, Afghanistan exported nearly thirty tons of saffron, with Heray Spice contributing significantly to this figure.

Our saffron has made its way to the kitchens of homes and restaurants across the globe, from UnitedStates, to India, Saudi Arabia and beyond.

We are a saffron company based in Chicago Illinois USA, and a cooperative of farmers based in Herat Afghanistan.

Every year we release the report of our progress in sustainability, product developments, and quality assurance.

Here is an initial report, subject to change as our final numbers or not finalized yet.

1- We welcomed 110 new farmers into our cooperative for this new harvest season. Counting to total of 176 as of October 15th, 2024.

2- Moved to a tripled sized facility compared to our last year facility in Herat Afghanistan. This new facility can host up to 65 employees working at the same time. Pictures will be published at harvest.

3-This year we believe we will have more than 120 seasonal employees, working in two shifts to process and package our saffron during the months of November & December.

4. Filming another documentary during the harvest season.

5. This year, we're harvesting rouhgly 45,400,000 flowers, with an expected yield of 680 pounds of saffron (that is roughly 65,000 flowers in one LB of saffron threads).

6. Our total sales income so far this year is $389,064 and $245,000 will go back to Afghan farmers for their saffron threads, seasonal employment, and operational costs of shipment and other services—a 45% growth from last year.

7. We Are in the process of getting Kosher Certification for our saffron and other spices.

I'm truly grateful for your support, and none of this would be possible without you. We still need your help to spread the word about Heray Saffron, sell our harvest, and support more farmers.

Thank you for being a vital part of our journey.

Warm regards,

Mohammad Salehi

Founder & Co-Owner, Heray Spice