TEHRAN- The value of Iran’s saffron export increased by 52 percent in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-August 22) compared to the same period of time in the previous year, the spokesman of the International Relations and Trade Development Committee of Iran's House of Industry, Mining and Trade said.

According to Ruhollah Latifi, Iranian saffron farmers exported 81.521 tons of the product valued at about $88 million in the mentioned five months, which was also 66 percent more than the figure for the previous year’s same period in terms of weight, IRIB reported.

Latifi said Iranian saffron was exported to 47 different countries in the said five months.

According to the official, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Spain, Qatar, and Afghanistan were the top five destinations for Iranian saffron in the mentioned period.

Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Belgium, Canada, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Australia, Taiwan, Sweden, Turkey, Malaysia, Switzerland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Mauritius, Singapore, Thailand, Norway, Romania, Japan, Bangladesh, Austria, South Africa, Pakistan, Philippines, New Zealand, Jordan, Indonesia, Croatia, Brazil, Ireland, Denmark, South Korea, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia were also among the importers of Iran’s red gold.

Iran is one of the world’s top saffron producers and over 90 percent of its production is exported to foreign destinations.

Back in January, Head of Iran's Union of Sellers and Exporters of Saffron Gholamreza Miri said saffron production in Iran increased by 20 percent in the current crop year as compared to the previous year.

EF/MA