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Iran's share in the production and export of barberry

February 21, 2017 at 2:46 PM , Chitra Trade Aryan
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Iran produces about 98% of world consumption.

Barberry is one of the most valuable agricultural products of Iran. It grows on bushes with needle-shaped thorns and the wood is reddish brown covered with oval tiny leaves. The bush blooms in late spring and early summer. Flower buds are yellow which with turns to dark red in fall. In late autumn, small and sour fruit is ready to be harvested.

Iran is the biggest barberry producer in the world the supply more than 98 percent of barberry consumption. This barberry is produced without the use of fertilizers and pesticides, it results in a natural and organic product. As the importing rules in EU countries force merchants to import organic fruits to Europe, this issue makes Iranian barberry an attractive product for the EU market. In the following table, mechanical and biological properties of organic barberries come.

Organoleptic parameters

Color:

Red with different shades

Aroma/taste:

Specific to dried barberry sour, without foreign smell and taste.

Fraction:

6-10 mm

Physico-chemical parameters

Moisture:

<20%

Sulfur dioxide:

<0.05%

Foreign matter (root, shell, dark spots):

<0.5%

Vermin:

Without visible living and dead insects and fragments.

Microbiology parameters

MICROORGANISMS at 30°C,per gram:

<105

PRESUMPTIVE Escherichia coli, per gram:

<10

YEASTS and MOULDS at 25°C,per gram:

<103

CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS, per gram:

<10

SALMONELLA, in 25 g:

Absent

 

In 2015 the area under cultivation of barberry in Iran was about 12,000 hectares and the production was more than 15,000 metric ton. According to data released by the Iranian Customs in 2016 Iran has exported about 40 million USD of barberries. The interesting point is where fresh barberry export market has been mentioned. In 2016, Iran has about 2 million USD of fresh barberries exported to the world. Germany (620 thousand USD), United Arab Emirates (453 Thousand USD), Canada (113 Thousand USD), Iraq (102 Thousand USD) and Kuwait (86 thousand USD) are five major importers of Iranian fresh barberries.

Even though Iran produces 98 percent of world barberry, the export of this lovely fruit, which is full of antioxidants, is not as high as the production percentage. The reason is a lack of knowledge about the barberry and its worthwhile properties.
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Prepared by Chitra Trade Ayan Team.

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