Tehran, Iran, July 28
By A. Shirazi - Trend:
About 56 tons of saffron worth more than $77 million were exported from Iran during the first three months of the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 21), according to figures released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
The volume of Iran’s exported red gold in the first three months of the current year stood at 56 tons, registering a 55 percent and 58 percent growth in weight and value respectively compared with the year before, the figures showed, Mehr news agency reported.
During the same corresponding period last year, Iran exported 36 tons of saffron worth nearly $49 million.
The UAE, Hong Kong, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Belgium, France, Oman, Singapore, the United States, the Philippines, Kuwait, Iraq, Canada, Poland, Japan and Taiwan were the main buyers of Iranian saffron.
Iran is the world’s biggest saffron producer and accounts for more than 90 percent of the global production. Close to 95 percent of Iranian saffron are grown in the two provinces of South Khorasan and Khorasan Razavi in northeastern Iran.
Saffron cultivation and harvest is a painstaking process which requires 200,000 strands of crimson crocus blooms to be gingerly picked in the morning to make one kilo for sale.
Iranian researchers have produced saffron extract for suppressing cancer, lowering blood pressure and curing depression.