Saffron

Iran grows 85 to 90 percent of the world's saffron but sells it for $862 a kilo: anatomy of the red gold paradox (Sunday, 26 July 2026)

The FAO stated officially on 26 November 2025 that Iran produces 85 to 90 percent of the world's saffron. Yet Iranian customs data for 1403 (2024/25) puts the average export price at roughly $862 per kilo, less than half the world average of about $2,000. Sahmino examines Iran's three different shares of this market, the re-export role of the UAE and Spain, and the counterintuitive finding that "red gold" has lagged both gold and the dollar over the long run.