Iran supplies 90 percent of the global demand for rosewater in light of its great farms and high-quality Mohammadi roses, said Mohsen Hallaji, who is involved in the development of Industrial Cluster of Kashan Rosewater, Herbal Drinks and Essence.
He told Iran Daily that Kashan is the hub for producing Mohammadi rose and rosewater in Iran.
Kashan, which has 1,900 hectares under cultivation of Mohammadi rose, is home to 10 percent of entire Mohammadi rose farms nationwide.
He put the average Mohammadi rose production at four tons per hectare while the total output of Mohammadi rose from farms and rose gardens in Kashan stands at 8,000 tons.
Hallaji said extraction of rosewater (golabgiri) is conducted using traditional and industrial methods.
“We have 27 industrial units and 1,500 traditional units for rosewater production across Kashan, providing direct or indirect job opportunities for 18,000 people.”
Since Kashan has many rosewater extraction factories and workshops, Mohammadi roses produced in farms of Kerman, Fars, Tabriz and Khorasan regions are also sent to Kashan for extracting rosewater, he said.
Close to 40 percent of rosewater is consumed domestically and the rest is exported, he added.
Hallaji further said the majority of Iranian rosewater is exported to Persian Gulf littoral states, Afghanistan, Iraq, European nations such as Germany, Southeast Asian nations like Japan and Malaysia, Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan, Armenia and Uzbekistan as well as to Canada and Russia.
He continued that in addition to rosewater, 80 herbal drinks are also produced in Kashan.
Hallaji put the production of rosewater and herbal drinks at 210,000 tons in the year to mid-March 2015 and this figure rose to 220,000 tons in the year to mid-March 2016.
He said that exports of rosewater and herbal drinks reached 1.6 million liters bringing in hard currency revenues of $2.1 million in the year to mid-March 2015. This increased to 1.88 million liters valued at $2.4 million in the year to mid-March 2016.
Hallaji noted that meager essence is produced in Kashan.
Essence has high value-added and is sold to perfume manufacturers, he added.
“Currently, we are planning to increase the production of essences.”
All workshops and industrial units which produce rosewater in Kashan are affiliated to Industrial Cluster of Kashan Rosewater, Herbal Drinks and Essence, he said.
At present, 500 industrial clusters have been identified across the country, he added.
He said Industrial Cluster of Kashan Rosewater, Herbal Drinks and Essence has been established under the supervision of the Organization of Small Industries and Industrial Townships of Iran.
“We seek to increase rosewater and herbal drinks production in Kashan,” he concluded.
golab or rosewater have a very great taste and aroma that can change the game in cooking 🙂