TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran has adopted special measures to extend support for its saffron farmers, according to Deputy Minister of Agricultural Jihad Hossein Shirzad said. Shirzad, who is also the head of Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives (CORC), said from the start of saffron harvesting in the current crop year (started in mid-October), the […]
TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran has adopted special measures to extend support for its saffron farmers, according to Deputy Minister of Agricultural Jihad Hossein Shirzad said.
Shirzad, who is also the head of Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives (CORC), said from the start of saffron harvesting in the current crop year (started in mid-October), the CORC has purchased 39 tons of saffron, reported Tasnim News Agency.
“In a bid to implement the Agricultural Ministry’s policy on supporting saffron farmers and the enhancement of sustainable production as well as export revenues, the CORC purchases saffron in the supporting prices set by the ministry,” he added.
Shirzad also said the CORC issued technical and practical guidelines for saffron purchasing procedures.
The guidelines were announced to the provinces of South Khorasan and Khorasan Razavi, the main hubs of saffron production in Iran.
Working groups were formed in those provinces to monitor implementation of the guidelines regarding market regulation of crops including saffron, he said.
Earlier, Hossein Zeinali noted that 113,000-115,000 hectares of land has been allocated to saffron during the current year, IRNA reported.
He also stressed that saffron was planted in most of Iran’s provinces, adding that Khorassan Razavi, North Khorassan and South Khorassan provinces now account for almost 85-90 percent of the country’s total saffron output.
He went on to say that presently almost 200,000 families are involved in saffron production.
Iran produced 404 tons of saffron during the year to March 20, of which 280 tons were exported.
- source : Iran Daily, Irannews
