TEHRAN – Iran exported 10,000 tons of tea in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-October 21), according to the Head of Iran's Tea Organization (ITO) Habib Jahansaz.

Jahansaz said the country also imported 30,000 tons of tea in the mentioned seven months.

According to the official, the government has purchased 11,500 tons of tea leaves from domestic farmers in the mentioned period, Mehr News Agency reported.

Picking green tea leaves in Iran begins in early May every year and usually continues until late October, the official said.

This year, over 124,590 tons of green tea leaves were harvested, and the extracted tea, processed by 158 factories, was about 28,033 tons.

He put the country’s demand for black tea at about 70,000 tons, of which 30,000 tons were imported in the first seven months of this year, compared to 40,000 tons last year.

EF/MA