Azerbaijan, Baku, Mar.5/ Trend G.Mehdi/
Iran exported $38 million worth of saffron in retail packages in 11 months, the Fars News Agency reported.
According to the Iranian Customs Administration, Iran exported saffron in 10-30gr packages during the first 11 months of the current Iranian calendar year which began on March 20, 2012.
Retail exports of saffron amounted to $56.9 million in the same period last year.
On January 20, IRNA quoted Iranian Agriculture Ministry official Naser Tavakkoli as saying that Iran plans to increase its agricultural exports to 118 million tons in the current Iranian calendar year from 107 million tons last year.
Iran's agricultural exports grew last year with pistachio and saffron sales almost doubling despite Western sanctions on trade with the country, the Fars News Agency quoted Iran's deputy agriculture minister Jahangir Pourhemmat as saying on January 6.
Between March 21 and December 20, Iran's pistachio exports doubled to $587 million making the nuts Iran's biggest agricultural export by value. Exports of saffron rose 87 per cent to $213 million, according to Reuters.