Kabul, Oct 18 (IANS): Afghanistan exported saffron and ferula asafoetida worth $77.5 million over the past six months, Ministry of Commerce and Industry spokesman Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad said on Friday.

The country has exported 18 tonnes of saffron worth $20.5 million and 617 tonnes of ferula asafoetida worth $57 million during the cited period till August, the official said in talks to local media.

According to the official, the valuable spices have been mostly exported to China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, Spain, Germany, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ferula asafoetida, with yellow flowers and massive roots, is native to Central Asia and eastern Iran, and currently, it is grown chiefly in Afghanistan, from where it is exported to the rest of the world.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock has provided training to local farmers in its efforts to promote saffron and ferula asafoetida production in the war-ravaged Central Asian country.

Afghanistan's main export items include coal, saffron, ferula asafoetida, hand-woven carpets, and precious stones.