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Iran exports of saffron, medicinal herbs rise

Business Materials 19 August 2018 11:33 (UTC +04:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, August 19
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An official with Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization said the country has exported 103,000 tons of flowers, ornamental plants, and medicinal herbs in the first four months of the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 21).

Over 103,000 tons of flowers, ornamental plants, and medicinal herbs worth $166.7 million were shipped out of the country, registering a 52 percent and 59 percent rise in terms of value and tonnage, respectively, Mitra Bidel said, the Trade Promotion Organization reported.

She added that Iran exported 70,000 tons of saffron worth $97 million during the period under review.

The saffron amounted to 58.5 percent of the total exports, marking 53 percent and 48 percent rise in value and weight, respectively, the official noted.

“Exports of Iran’s medicinal herbs and saffron to Slovakia, Armenia, Germany and the Netherlands saw a decline over the four months,” Bidel said.

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.

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