Iran anticipates
saffron exports will soar in 2024

The director of the
Iranian Ministry of Agriculture’s Medicinal Plants National Project has
forecast that the country will produce 250 tons of saffron by the yearend.

"We are working to
increase the productivity of saffron production by providing farmers with
loans, organizing the market, and educating farmers," Hossein Zeinali
said.

It is predicted that 250
tons of saffron will have been produced in the country by the yearend (March
20, 2024), he said.

He added, "We also
plan to extract and export saffron essential oil and crocin instead of
saffron.”

Based on the forecast,
the area under cultivation for saffron in Iran is expected to increase by 15%
to 123,000 hectares this year. However, the predicted production of 250 tons is
a 25% decrease from the 322 tons produced in 2023.

The decline in production
is attributed to factors such as drought, frost, and water shortages. These
factors have reduced the yield of saffron per hectare.

The Ministry of
Agriculture is working to increase saffron production in the coming years. The
ministry plans to provide farmers with loans, organize the market, and educate
farmers.

The ministry is also
planning to extract and export saffron essential oil and crocin instead of
saffron. This would increase the value added of saffron.