Saffron Exports Exceed $419m

Tehran, May 22, IRNA – Some $419m worth of saffron was exported during the past Iranian year (ended March 20, 2013), an official with Iranˈs Trade Development Organization (TDO) said Wednesday. Speaking to IRNA, TDOˈs Deputy director general Kioumars Fathollah Kermanshahi said the figure showed 14 percent growth in terms of value and 11.5 percent increase in term of weight compared to its previous year. Kermanshahi added introducing saffron to target markets by Iranian experts played a crucial role in the growth of saffron exports to other countries. He noted the volume of exported saffron to China had a 500-percent growth during the said period. Iran accounts for around 96 percent of the world’s total saffron production exporting saffron to 46 countries, including European and Persian Gulf states./end