Financial Tribune- Iran exported close to 78 tons of saffron during the eight months to November 20, the deputy head of the Iranian National Saffron Council said.

�Different figures, ranging from 310 to 360 tons, have been released for this year�s saffron production,� Gholamreza Miri was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.

Last year�s production stood at over 350 tons, indicating a 25% rise year-on-year, of which about 130 tons were exported.

Iran is the world�s biggest saffron producer and accounts for more than 93% of the global production. Close to 95% of the country�s saffron are cultivated in the two provinces of South Khorasan and Khorasan Razavi in northeastern Iran.