Iran exports saffron to 65 countries, says vice president of the Association of Saffron Producers and Exporters of South Khorasan.
“Iran is the producer of the best and high-quality saffron in the world,” Ali Hosseini was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
Noting that the cultivation of saffron in Iran dates back to more than 3,000 years, he said the precious spice has applications in pharmaceutical, food and beverages, and cosmetics industries.
He also referred to Iran’s recent contract with Qatar for saffron export and said the first shipment was shipped a few days ago.
The world’s biggest contract for saffron trade was signed between Iran and Qatar on Sept. 18 in the presence of Iran’s Ambassador in Doha Hamidreza Dehqani and Qatar’s Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari.
Based on the contract, 200 tons of saffron worth $300 million will be processed and exported from Iran to the neighboring Qatar.
Experts believe this contract is one of a kind and can have a positive impact on Iran’s domestic saffron market and help export processed instead of raw saffron, creating value added for the precious Iranian spice.