Iran reigns supreme as the global leader in exporting damask rose and its fragrant byproduct, rosewater.

The country has witnessed a significant expansion in damask rose cultivation, with farmland dedicated to this flower tripling in size since 2017. 

This translates to booming exports – Iran not only shipped out more damask rose petals and buds (weight and value up by over 50%), but also saw a 15.5% increase in rosewater exports last year, , Agriculture Ministry official Hossein Zeinali told IRNA.

 While the global market for damask rose and fragrant roses is valued at $2.5 billion, Iran claims a sizeable chunk of that pie at an estimated $250 million, he added.

There's still room for growth, though, as the official highlights the importance of learning from successful agricultural processing industries abroad, particularly in areas like flower essence extraction and cultivating diverse damask rose varieties.

 Iran's damask rose production is primarily concentrated in Isfahan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Fars, and East Azarbaijan provinces.