Saffron Exports Earn $92m

Iran exported more than 68 tons of saffron worth over 3 trillion rials ($92.36 million) to 54 countries during the five months to August 22. This registers a 26% and 35.4% growth in weight and value respectively compared with the corresponding period of last year, figures released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration’s website show. The UAE was the main customer of Iranian saffron over the period, with more than $29 million worth of purchases. Other main importers of the product were Hong Kong, Spain, Germany, Japan, Australia, the US, Belgium, Bahrain, Afghanistan, the UK and Taiwan. Iran is the world’s biggest saffron producer and accounts for more than 90% of the global production. Close to 95% of Iranian saffron are grown in the two provinces of South Khorasan and Khorasan Razavi in northeastern Iran.