Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA)- The second seminar to introduce Iran’s saffron and medicinal herbs was held at the Ferdowsi Hall of the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo on Saturday.
During the seminar, the experts discussed the market for Iranian saffron and medicinal herbs in Japan, the director of Iran’s Saffron Exports Development Fund said in Tokyo on the sidelines of the event.
Ali Shariati Moqaddam also called for efforts to safeguard the name of Iranian saffron (red gold) in international markets, Tehran Times said citing a report by the Iranian News Network.
The Islamic Republic supplies over 96 percent of the world’s red gold and produces top-quality saffron, but the global market s dominated by other countries, he noted.
The official said that Japanese companies are interested in purchasing saffron from Iran and not other countries.
The Tokyo seminar could help introduce Iranian saffron to the world, making it possible to export over 120-150 tons to Japan per annum.
Saffron is more than an aromatic spice for rice, soups and meat dishes. Dried filaments from the saffron flower have been used for thousands of years to make perfumes, colored dyes, and even herbal medicines. Saffron is known to be a strong antioxidant, a substance thought to protect the body.
