Iranian saffron exports reach 21 metric tons, valued at over $207Mln
3 Min Read
Among the top destinations for Iranian saffron, the UAE emerged as the primary importer with 67,120 kg, followed by China, Spain, and Afghanistan.
-
In this picture taken on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, an Iranian farm worker harvests saffron flowers just outside the city of Torbat Heydariyeh, southeastern Iran (AP)
IRNA reported on Saturday, citing the Head of the Study, Monitoring, and Market Development Office of the Central Organization of Rural Cooperatives of Iran, Roohollah Latifi, that Iran exported 21 metric tons of saffron valued at $207,786,281 to 55 countries in the Iranian calendar year ending in late March.
"Despite the growth of exports in terms of weight and the increase in the price of this product in the country and international markets, we have observed a 15.7% decrease in the value of this product," Roohollah Latifi said on Saturday.
According to Latifi, there was a notable surge in the export of saffron packaged in quantities less than 30 grams, accounting for 22% of total saffron exports in the Iranian calendar year 1402, compared to 15.5% in the previous year (Iranian calendar year 1401).
Among the top destinations for Iranian saffron, the UAE emerged as the primary importer with 67,120 kg, followed by China with 49,200 kg, Spain with 43,820 kg, and Afghanistan with 21,716 kg, registering an impressive growth of 198 percent. Other significant importers included Qatar, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and France.
Saffron stands as one of Iran's most crucial export commodities, and the country aims to further enhance its overseas shipments by facilitating measures to alleviate restrictions on exporters.
Read more: Iran's defense industry records boom spurred by localization efforts
In December last year, the Financial Times reported that the global market experienced a saffron shortage, primarily attributed to a poor harvest in Iran.
Producers and traders attribute the shortage in saffron to shifting weather patterns and water shortages.
Mojtaba Payam-Asgari, the head of the Torbat-e Jam saffron exchange, pointed out that extremely low temperatures during the past winter, coupled with an exceptionally dry and hot spring and summer, had a severe impact on the crop. The predicament was exacerbated by the complete drying up of thousands of wells meant for irrigation.
Experts caution that the situation might deteriorate further due to climate change, which is disrupting traditional weather patterns. The combination of these factors poses a significant challenge to saffron production and underscores the vulnerability of this valuable spice to environmental fluctuations.
“Iran is more vulnerable than the global average, especially in arid and semi-arid areas [where saffron is grown]… Rainfall is declining, and evaporation and temperatures are soaring,” Mohammad Darvish, an Iranian environmentalist, told the news outlet.
