TEHRAN - The National Saffron Day festival in Iran’s northeastern Khorasan Razavi province has been registered as an international event on the country’s tourism calendar, with a permanent secretariat established at the province’s Chamber of Commerce to promote Iranian saffron and strengthen its value chain from production to export.

Samira Sabzevari, secretary of the National Saffron Day conference, said the registration marks a significant step in efforts to safeguard the position of Iranian saffron and expand activities related to the prized agricultural product.

Speaking to ISNA, Sabzevari said the Khorasan Razavi Chamber of Commerce had placed a range of initiatives on its agenda following the festival’s registration and the establishment of its permanent secretariat.

The initiatives aim to preserve saffron’s standing in domestic and international markets while strengthening links among producers, processors, traders and exporters, she said.

Over the past two years, the National Saffron Day festival has featured exhibitions, conferences, urban advertising campaigns and plans for promotional caravans and tourism tours in different counties across the province.

This year’s program takes an integrated approach to the saffron value chain, covering all its stages and related industries, she added.

Also, an international saffron exhibition was inaugurated in the presence of officials and featured traditional and cultural programs intended to celebrate the local heritage associated with saffron cultivation.

Sabzevari said the festival’s registration as an international event on Iran’s tourism calendar had been secured through follow-up with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

Known as “red gold,” saffron is a valuable agricultural product widely used in Persian cuisine, where it lends distinctive aroma and color to dishes and desserts. It also has a long-standing place in traditional Iranian medicine and cultural practices.

Iran is one of the world’s major saffron-producing countries, with much of its cultivation concentrated in the country’s eastern and northeastern regions. The annual harvest generally begins in early November, when saffron’s vivid purple flowers emerge across fields in otherwise dry landscapes.

Beyond its economic value, the harvest season offers opportunities for rural tourism, allowing visitors to experience saffron picking and learn about the cultivation and processing of the spice. Organizers’ plans for promotional caravans and tourism tours reflect efforts to connect the product more closely with the region’s cultural heritage and travel industry.

AM