Iran earns $115m out of saffron exports

Mashhad, Oct 3, IRNA -- An Iranian official said since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year of 1397 (beginning on March 21), 85 tons of saffron worth $115 million have been exported to different countries from the northeastern Province of Razavi Khorasan. In an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the Head of the province's Agricultural Jihad Organization, Mojtaba Mazrooyi, said within the period, a total of 98 tons of saffron worth $124 million have been exported. Last year, 65 tons of saffron worth $88 million were exported from Razavi Khorasan Province, he added. Mazrooyi went on to say that owing to rise of dollar in Iran, saffron export has grown considerably and the trend continues. A total of 310,000 tons of saffron will be produced in Razavi Khorasan Province this year, Mazrooyi predicted. Some 87,000 hectares in the northeastern province are under the cultivation of saffron. Some 90 percent of Iranian saffron is produced in Khorassan Province.