Iran’s National Saffron Council has voiced concern about the relentless smuggling of Iranian saffron bulbs into Afghanistan and China. “Iran is the largest producer of saffron, accounting for approximately 92% of the world’s production. To maintain our spot at the top, we need to block the illegal outflow of saffron bulbs and lend our support to domestic production and exports,” Mehr News Agency quoted the deputy head of the council, Gholamreza Miri, as saying. According to the council, smugglers have been exporting Iranian saffron bulbs for more than seven years. 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.
