Tehran - Iran exported 214,300 tons of saffron worth $184.7 million in the past Iranian calendar year 1403 (ended on March 20), according to an official with the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

IRICA’s Director General of Statistics and Data Processing Hamid Bayat, announced that the saffron exports saw a four percent drop in volume and a 13 percent decline in value year-on-year.

The United Arab Emirates, Spain, and China were the top three buyers of Iranian saffron in 1403, importing $50 million, $40 million, and $30 million, respectively, he added.

Bayat noted that these three countries accounted for 65 percent of the total value of Iran’s saffron exports. He added that Iranian saffron was shipped to more than 50 countries worldwide, Tehran Times reported.

According to the IRICA report, Iran's agricultural exports rose by 29 percent in the previous year, reaching $5.2 billion.

IRICA reported that Iran exported 7.6 million tons of agricultural products during the year, marking an 11 percent increase in weight compared to the previous year.

Key export commodities included various types of pistachios, tomatoes, and dates. Pistachio exports led the sector, generating $1.5 billion in revenue, followed by $233 million in tomatoes and $205 million in dates.