Saffron growers in the pockets of foreign traders
The chairman of the National Saffron Council said: One of the weaknesses in saffron exports is that we prefer foreign interests to the interests of farmers. What sin did our farmers commit to throw their resources and profits into the pockets of foreign traders?
Mohsen Ehtesham said today, September 25, at a symposium of the National Saffron Council of Iran, which was held at the Khorasan Razavi Chamber of Commerce: Farmers and exporters are not satisfied and dissatisfied, we all believe that they do not receive their real wages and the price of saffron Given the world market prices, the currency, the prices of previous years, the high costs of agricultural inputs and the cost of living of farmers are by no means fair.
He added: the dollar was 28 thousand tomans, but saffron is sold for 300 dollars. We have a mission and a social responsibility, sometimes if activities are against our interests, we have to do them for the benefit of the farmers. One of the weaknesses in saffron exports is that we prefer foreign interests to the interests of the farmer. What sin did our farmers commit to throw their resources and profits into the pockets of foreign traders?
Ehtesham continued: we must rule the view and social responsibility, make a moral commitment together, buy saffron from the farmer at the price set as the base price and sell it at the base price, the saffron exporters union should be the judge of this scene So that if the exporter violates the sale, he will deal with me.
The chairman of the National Saffron Council stated that our exporters are involved and export saffron with blood and heart problems, return the currency and maintain the market, adding: The most important exporters of the market are saffron keepers.
If exporters do not keep the same market in the economic war and we lose this market, we have to give it to neighboring countries, he said. The efforts of exporters in this situation are commendable. The manufacturer and the exporter want support, if both are supported, then it creates synergies and can create a good position for any product.
Ehtesham said: The National Saffron Council does not have a building or space and has only two staff members. The National Saffron Council is funded by the Iranian Chamber of Commerce and we have nothing else. Last year, we submitted a comprehensive plan for the production and export leap to the Ministry of Silence, which took six months to prepare. We asked them to give powers to the organizations, because delegation and specialization is one of the good measures that will solve the problems of the economic sector, but they objected and stated that these powers are sovereign and we can not give them to the National Assembly.
The chairman of the National Saffron Council pointed out: We give experimental and sub-specialized opinions and suggestions, but so far, which of the agreed opinions has had a bad result? The National Saffron Council has played its role properly. We have many decision-making bodies in the country, each of which speaks sparsely, but we have reached a conclusion in the private sector, and we hope to reach this conclusion in the public sector as well.
He added: We must plan for the future based on past experiences so that the past experiences are not repeated and the living conditions, work of farmers and prices reach the desired state. The problem is that we produce 95% of the world’s saffron, but others set the price for us.
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