Iran's Efforts to Gain Control Over Its Saffron Market

The director of the Development Office at the Ministry of Agriculture stated that Iran intends to take direct control of its saffron sales in global markets in the post-sanctions period. According to the official news agency IRNA, citing the Costa Rican newspaper 'El Financiero', Mohammad Rostami mentioned that Iranian saffron has suffered significant losses in recent years due to the intensification of sanctions against Iran. This official from the Ministry of Agriculture added that in recent years, about 90% of Iranian saffron was sold unbranded through Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to Spanish companies, which then sold it to European companies. The director of the Development Office said, 'The Spaniards claim that Iranian saffron lacks sufficient quality, yet they themselves are selling this saffron under their brand to third countries.' He added that Iran's goal is to be the primary seller and is seeking to obtain the necessary licenses from the European Union for this purpose. Abbas Mohammadi, an agricultural expert residing in Tehran, believes that with the lifting of sanctions, obtaining these licenses will be greatly facilitated, and Iranian traders will be able to meet EU standards even without government assistance. So far this year, Iran has successfully exported over 56 tons of saffron to 37 countries. Mohammad Reza Kalami, the director general of the Economic Affairs and Trade Policies Office at the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade, identifies bulk exports as one of the problems facing Iranian saffron exports. Razieh Alirezaei, head of the Industry, Mine, and Trade Organization of Razavi Khorasan, adds that last year, 160 tons of saffron were exported from Razavi Khorasan, which, although impactful in production and industry, lost another opportunity for introducing Iranian saffron due to being mostly exported in bulk. She stated that international traders buy according to international standards, and Iranian exporters must align themselves with these standards. Another issue with Iranian saffron, according to Javad Haravi, a representative of Qaenat in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, is its traditional status regarding planting, cultivation, and harvesting. He mentioned at the fourth national saffron conference that continuing this method could lead to the loss of Iran's position in this field. While the issue of bulk saffron exports has kept the value of this red gold from being recognized in global markets, last year there were even reports that Iranian saffron was packaged in Afghanistan and sold as Afghan saffron in global markets. Gholamreza Miri, the then-president of saffron exporters in Razavi Khorasan, confirmed this issue to the central news unit of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, stating that the restrictions imposed on saffron exports have led to its smuggling to other countries, including Afghanistan. Today, saffron is also used in drug production, and considering that Iran is the largest producer of saffron in the world, addressing the problems of this important agricultural industry could lead to significant entrepreneurship and economic returns in the country.