Deputy head of National Saffron Council says three tons of Iranian saffron were rebranded in Afghanistan and reexported to the US and Europe under Afghan brands during the last Iranian year (ended March 20). “Sadly, we haven’t been able to manage the markets, while intermediaries took advantage of this opportunity,” Mohsen Ehtesham was quoted as saying by the Persian daily Forsat-e Emrooz on Wednesday. Despite accounting for more than 94% of global production, Iran has failed to establish a legitimate international brand for saffron. Blaming the issue on the western sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear energy program, the government is willing to reestablish its position in global markets as the July 14 nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers paves the way for the removal of economic constraints.
