Iran says it has exported above $300 million worth of medicinal herbs since January.<\/p>\n
Peyman Yousefi Azar, the director of Medicinal Herbs Department of Iran\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, told the domestic media that saffron comprised almost two thirds of the exports.<\/p>\n
The Damask rose comprised a third of the exports, Yousefi Azar said adding that other herbs comprised the rest of the exports.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\nThe key consumer markets of Iran\u2019s medicinal herbs in order of import volumes are Pakistan, the UAE, Germany, Japan and China.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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.<\/p>\n