TEHRAN- Iran exported over 160 tons of saffron worth more than $219 million to 56 countries during the nine-month period ended on December 21, 2017, with 26 percent growth in the value compared to the same time span in the preceding year.

The weight of exported saffron also indicates 33 percent rise from the figure of its past year, ISNA reported.

United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hong Kong, Spain, Afghanistan and China were the top importers of Iranian saffron during the nine-month period, importing 33 tons, 15 tons, 14 tons, five tons and four tons of the product, respectively.

U.S., Germany, Britain, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada and the Netherlands are among the countries with more purchase of saffron from Iran compared to the year before and Madagascar is the new buyer of Iranian saffron.

Iran’s weight of saffron exports during the past Iranian calendar year (March 2016-March 2017) rose 60 percent compared to that of the previous year, according to Gholamreza Miri, the vice chairman of National Iranian Saffron Council.

The official put the weight of the country’s exported saffron at 176 tons in last year while the figure stood at 113 tons in its previous year.

The value of saffron exports in the past year stood at $253 million, he added.

MA