A harvester paid in a job-by-job basis carries a basket full of saffron flowers at one of the Molineta de Minaya saffron company's plots, in Minaya on November 4, 2016. On the arid, wind-swept plateaux of central Spain, saffron producers are reaping the profits from a return to favour of the precious spice introduced by Arabs in the Middle Ages. After a lull in production due to the high prices of saffron -- one of the most expensive spices in the world due to the intensive manual labour it entails -- farmers are now back in business as customers seek good quality, which Spain can provide. / AFP PHOTO / Gonzalo ARROYO MORENO / TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY ADRIEN VICENTE