Tehran, Iran, June 19
By A. Shirazi - Trend:
The deputy head of Iran’s National Saffron Council voiced concern about the unrestrained smuggling of Iranian saffron bulbs to Afghanistan.
“Widespread and illegal outflow of saffron bulbs has increased the product’s price inside the country,” IRIB news agency quoted Gholamreza Miri as saying on June 19.
He added that this has impeded Iran’s saffron export to the international market as now wholesale Iranian saffron is smuggled to the neighboring country of Afghanistan where Iran’s red gold is exported to other countries, particularly Europe.
The value of Iran’s saffron export currently stands at $300 million, Miri said, calling on the government to take the necessary measures and fight against smugglers.
“Saffron is a strategic crop that its production exclusively belongs to Iran and the government should make more effort to combat the problem,” he said.
Iran’s position as the lead supplier of the spice is also being undercut by counterfeit business under which genuine saffron from the country is adulterated and resold to the high-end global market, with the UAE and Spain being the prime destinations.
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.
Much of the crop produced by villagers are bought at knockdown prices by local arbiters who themselves sell it to foreign buyers in large stocks. This means the bulk of the added-value accrues to foreign intermediaries, while the genuine produce barely reaches the end consumer.
Saffron cultivation has a history of more than 3,000 years in Iran, where the reddish, aromatic substance is used to flavor food and pastries, with further application in medicine and cosmetics.
Iranian researchers have produced saffron extract for suppressing cancer, lowering blood pressure and curing depression.
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