Saffron worth $15 million were exported from Iran during the first month of the current Iranian year (started March 20), registering a 10% surge compared with the similar period of a year before. This was announced by Gholamreza Miri, the deputy head of National Saffron Council, on Wednesday, Mehr News Agency reported. The removal of anti-Iran sanctions in January has paved the way for saffron traders to ramp up exports, which suffered a considerable decline last year. The increase in exports also comes amid rising production. Deputy Agriculture Minister Mitra Majdzadeh said more than 350 tons of saffron were produced in the last Iranian year (March 2015-16), indicating a 25% increase compared with the previous year. The area under saffron cultivation increased from 88,000 to 95,000 hectares. Iran is the world’s biggest saffron producer and accounts for more than 93% of the global production.
