TEHRAN- Iran’s saffron exports increased 33 percent during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-August 22) compared to the same period of time in the past year, according to the latest data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

The IRICA data show that the country exported $123.73 million of saffron in the five-month period of this year, while the figure was $92.904 million in the same time span of the previous year, Mehr news agency reported on Wednesday.

Spain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Italy, U.S., India, France, Canada, Britain, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Australia, Iraq, Oman, Bahrain, Austria, South Africa, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Vietnam, Taiwan, Qatar and Kuwait were among the buyers of Iranian saffron during the first five months of the current year.  

Iran’s exports of saffron increased about 55 percent in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20) compared to its preceding year, breaking the record of exports in the past ten years.

According to Kaveh Zargaran, the chairman of the Agricultural Committee at the Tehran Chamber of Commerce Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA), some 236 tons of saffron worth over $326 million were exported to the destination markets in the mentioned period.

UAE, Hong Kong, Spain, Afghanistan and China were the top importers of Iranian saffron while the top three namely UAE, Hong Kong and Spain accounted for over 77 percent of the total exports.

MA/MA