Iran’s saffron exports to hit $400m: MP
By Sadeq Dehqan & Reza Abesh Ahmadlou
Staff writers
Iran is on the verge of registering $400 million worth of saffron exports, announced an Iranian lawmaker adding that the figure indicates a 100-percent growth compared to the figure for preceding year. Talking to Iran Daily, Mohsen Zanganeh added that during the past two-three years, by following the policies of the Parliament and government, Iran raised the price of saffron in the international market.
“With the measures that were taken, including providing facilities to major buyers, removing export barriers and supportive policies of the Ministry of Agriculture, the country helped the producers of saffron and the price of the product has increased to $1,200 per kilogram in target markets.”
Today, saffron is among the products that are decided on in many Iranian president’s visits, including to China, Russia, and South America, the MP said adding that the measures along with setting up a working group on saffron have led to an increase in the export of the product.
Due to the country’s trade barriers and the imposition of Western sanctions, currently part of Iran’s saffron is exported through other countries with non-Iranian packaging, Zanganeh criticized noting that if the problem is resolved, the country’s saffron export will double.
Referring to the allocation of $30 million to support the country’s saffron production, he said of the figure is provided by some Iranian banks, so that if the price of saffron decreases, the government can buy the product from the farmer to prevent losses.
In the council for pricing and adoption of support policies for basic products, measures were taken to support saffron, he said stating that there has been no need for government involvement to support the product. “Due to climatic changes in the country and the some frost damages during the months of cultivation, as well as the overheating in some days, the country’s production is a little bit less than last year.”
Pointing out that about 85 percent of the country’s saffron is exported, the MP said Iran has the first rank of saffron production in the world.
Despite the fact that other countries such as India, Afghanistan, China and even Qatar have gone towards increasing the production of saffron by cultivation in a greenhouse, but Iran is still the largest producer of saffron in the world, he explained. Saffron cultivation has been extended from the east of the country to the western regions, Zanganeh said adding that the production of saffron has started in the provinces of Hamedan, Kermanshah, Isfahan and some central provinces of Iran.