East Azarbaijan – East Azarbaijan Province, in the northwest of Iran, is expanding the cultivation of sumac to increase export revenues and strengthen its position in international markets, a senior agricultural official announced.

 

According to Sadeq Naderi, Deputy for Crop Production Improvement at the provincial Agricultural Organization, East Azarbaijan currently ranks fourth nationwide with 490 hectares of orchards and an annual output of 380 tons, while leading the country in product quality.

 

The county of Horand alone accounts for 225 hectares of cultivation. The province’s 2024 harvest is valued at more than 40 trillion rials (around $69 million at market exchange rates), he added.

 

“Sumac, a low-water, fully organic crop, is being promoted as an alternative to water-intensive farming. Expansion plans include new orchards in Mianeh, Shabestar, Ahar, and Jolfa, backed by contracts for high-quality sapling production. Five processing units with a combined capacity of 370 tons are currently active in the Arasbaran region, and investment in modern standardized processing plants is underway.”

 

Widely valued for both its culinary and medicinal uses—ranging from lowering blood sugar and cholesterol to reducing risks of heart disease and cancer—sumac is increasingly recognized as a high-value export commodity.