Peyman Yousefi Azar, the director of Medicinal Herbs Department of Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, told the domestic media that saffron comprised almost two thirds of the exports.

The Damask rose comprised a third of the exports, Yousefi Azar said adding that other herbs comprised the rest of the exports.

He emphasized that there is already a market worth around $150 billion for medicinal herbs in Europe, IRNA reported. The official added that different kinds of herbal tea comprise half of the market of medicinal herbs.

Yousefi Azar further emphasized that Iran still needs to devise serious plans to promote its herbs industry in what could eventually become an important non-oil source of revenues.

The key consumer markets of Iran’s medicinal herbs in order of import volumes are Pakistan, the UAE, Germany, Japan and China.

Iran is generally considered as one of the most geographically diverse countries and has 12 separate geographic environments that can host above 7,500 species of plants of which 1,800 are used in medicine.

Saffron is the crown jewel of Iran’s botanical products. The country produces around 210 tons of saffron each year of which some 70 percent is exported.

Iranian officials had earlier said the country’s exports of botanical products had declined over the past few years as a result of sanctions and stood at around $100 million per year. The surge of exports to around $300 million as Yousefi Azar acknowledged may be a direct result of the removal of the sanctions in January.

More about Iran Saffron

The Guardian: Iran anticipates saffron sales will soar after lifting of sanctions

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The fifth cargo of propane and butane produced at Siri NGL Refinery was loaded and exported to Pakistan as reported by the Iranian Offshore Oil Company.

Accordingly, a cargo, consisting of 51 thousand barrels of propane and 20 thousand barrels of butane, was loaded from Siri Oil and Gas Terminal and was carried to Pakistan through Persian Gulf waters.

Two years ago, Siri NGL Refinery began production of pentane for Iran to join the few countries producing the new and strategic gas product.

The plant is capable of produce 1,400 barrels of gas condensates, 1,500 barrels of pentane, 4,000 barrels of butane, and 8,000 barrels of propane per day.

Full operation of the plant is expected to bring about 1.5 million dollars of revenues per day and is placed among profitable projects in Iran’s oil industry.

The Siri NGL project includes Siri to Qeshm pipeline, Siri to Kish pipeline, Siri NGL plant, and Kish gas pressure boost station that are estimated to cost about 500 million dollars.

With final implementation and completion of the complex, gas flares of four Iranian fields in the Persian Gulf will fall into disuse and the gad, instead of being combusted, will be consumed by Siri refinery for production purposes.

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