Iran, biggest producer of rosewater in world

An Iranian official says the country produces about 26,000 tonnes of rosewater per year, ranking first in the world in this regard.

Mitra Majdzadeh, a deputy minister of agriculture jihad, told Iranian media on Tuesday that Iran has been the first country producing rosewater from red rose in the world.

“This flower has been then taken from Iran to Damascus and from there to Europe. This is why red rose is also known as Damascus rose in Europe,” she added.

Majdzadeh stated that red rose grows best in an altitude of 2,000-3,000 meters from sea level.

“In Iran, Isfahan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Fars, and East Azarbaijan provinces are the main producers of red rose, though it can be grown almost all across the country,” the official added.

Saying that Iran is among the most prominent producers of red rose in the world, she added that Hungary, France, Turkey, Bulgaria, Morocco, Syria and Afghanistan are other major producers of red rose.

The official stated that a total of about 26,000 tonnes of red rose were grown in Iran through both irrigation and dry farming during last Iranian calendar year (ended March 20, 2015), adding that the figure is expected to hit 27,500 tonnes this year.

Majdzadeh said Iranian red rose is usually exported as dried petals, dried buds, and rose water.

“Last year, about 14,500 hectares of land was used to cultivate red rose…. According to projections of the Sixth Economic Development Plan, the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad should increase this figure by 2,000 hectares a year” starting from 2016.

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