Miri, the president of the Saffron Exporters Union, warned about a 17% decrease in saffron exports in the first ten months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, and the potential loss of the top export position in global markets. He pointed out the export of 263 tons of saffron in 2022 and the annual production of 350 to 400 tons in the country, equivalent to 80 to 85 percent of global production. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), countries such as India, Spain, Greece, Morocco, and China also hold positions in saffron production. As per global statistics, India, following Iran, is the second-largest producer with a 5% share of the market.
In order to facilitate commodity deposit certificate transactions: a new saffron warehouse has been accepted on the Commodity Exchange.
The Commodity Exchange announced the activation of the excellent cut saffron (Negin) warehouse of Arnica Kian Toos Company and declared that the trading symbol for this warehouse’s deposit certificates will be opened on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.
In Khorasan Razavi: 180 tons of saffron were harvested in 2022
The Deputy of Crop Production Improvement of the Khorasan Razavi Agricultural Jihad Organization announced the above news and added that despite the predictions for 2022 indicating a harvest of 150 tons of saffron in the province, improved rainfall in some areas raised this amount to 180 tons. Accordingly, the harvesting situation in counties such as Torbat-e Jam, Taybad, Khaf, and Rashtkhar has significantly improved. He added that out of 121 thousand hectares of saffron cultivation in the country, 91 thousand hectares, or approximately 76%, belong to Khorasan Razavi.
The executor of the Medicinal Plants Project of the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad announced: the strategic document for the development of the saffron value chain is in the final stages.
Hossein Zeinali, while mentioning the growth in the value of saffron exports and the Support Fund for Saffron Development in relation to the cultivation and production of saffron in the country, said: in the first ten months of 2022, 178 tons of saffron worth 173 million dollars were exported, showing a 55% increase in value compared to the same period last year.
He added that in 2021, the area under saffron cultivation reached 121,930 hectares, which shows an increase of 680 hectares compared to 2020. He further added that following the pricing council’s resolution by the Deputy of Horticulture Affairs of the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, the specialized mother company for supporting agricultural investment is also required to establish the Saffron Industry Development Support Fund with the participation of natural and legal persons active in the saffron value chain. In this regard, the National Specialized Saffron Fund project has been developed by the Horticulture Deputy in cooperation with the mother specialized fund and is seeking government shares to operationalize it.
Approval of the new regulation supporting the implementation of research projects at the Saffron Research Institute of Torbat Heydarieh University
The head of the Saffron Research Institute of Torbat Heydarieh University stated that the new regulation of the Saffron Research Institute was approved by the Saffron Research Council on April 12, 2023. Dr. Hassan Feyzi added that proposals registered in the institute’s project system from this date will be decided based on the new regulation. The decision criterion for proposals registered before this date but not yet approved (under review) will be the 2021 regulation.
