History
Zarrin Cumin Seeds Company was put into
operation in 1994, with a capacity of 3 T per hour sifting of cumin
seeds. This mill was built in a ground of 22000 m2 (2.2
Hectare). This company has many halls for effectively storing of
cumin seeds. Sifting machinery of this company manufactured by Rober,
Germany; and is able to sift cumin seeds, grains and cereals. This
company is currently able to sift 10000 T per year of cumin seeds.
Introduction
Cumin seed is a crop that Iran, especially
Khorasan Province, accounts for many shares of its production and
export. Having 4000 hectares under cultivation for cumin seeds and
about 30000 T production, Iran has gained $45 million from this
crop; and Iran has a great influence and key role in determining its
global price.
Investigation of cumin seeds condition in Khorasan Province
Cumin seed is one of the most important and
exported plants of Iran that considerably cultivated in agricultural
lands of Southern and Razavi Khorasan Provinces. This plant has
applications in food, pharmaceutical, soap and perfume industries.
Due to the specific properties including short growth seasons,
balance in work time scheduling of farmers and machinery, less water
needs, correspondence of growth to raining season in arid and
semiarid areas, high economic justification for export, this plant
is favored to many farmers, so that it has stabilized its place in
agricultural pattern of Khorasan province. Cumin seeds cultivated
area was 36000 hectares in agricultural year of 1999-2000 in
Khorasan province, with production of approximately 15000 T. Mean
performance in irrigated and dry- farmed lands were 523 Kg and 245
Kg, respectively.
Global trade of cumin seeds
Based on the statistical data from Iranian
Foreign Commerce Calendar, during the years 1976- 1998, total volume
of annual global export for cumin seeds was $0.12 billion, with an
annual growth rate of 3%. Four countries including Iran, Turkey, India
and Syria account for half of the global export of this crop, with
Iran’s share being 30%. United States, Southern America, European
countries, East Asia and Middle Asia, are among the target markets
that have been considered in export development of this crop.
