Iran’s saffron exports to rise 15%: Iranian official

TEHRAN,May 14(MNA) - Iran’s saffron exports will increase by 15 percent in the current [Iranian calendar] year, the secretary of the National Iranian Saffron Council announced. Iran exported 126 tons of saffron, valued at $384 million, to different countries in the last Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, ISNA quoted Farshid Manouchehri as saying on Monday. The volume of saffron exports is anticipated to reach about 140 tons in the current year, he added. On January 20, IRNA quoted Agriculture Ministry official Naser Tavakkoli as saying that Iran plans to increase its agricultural exports to 118 million tons in the current Iranian calendar year from 107 million tons in the past year. Iran's agricultural exports grew last year, with pistachio and saffron sales almost doubling, despite Western sanctions on trade with the country, the Fars News Agency quoted Iran's Deputy Agriculture Minister Jahangir Pourhemmat as saying on January 6.