Saffron (trade) by far the world's most important producer: in 2005 it grossed some of dry threads, or 93.7 percent of the year's global total mass; much of the Iranian crop was bound for export. Northeasterly Khorasan Province, which in 2004 was divided in three, grows 95 percent of Iranian saffron: the hinterlands of Birjand, Ghayen, Ferdows in South Khorasan Province, along with areas abutting Gonabad and Torbat-e Heydarieh in Razavi Khorasan Province, are its key cropping areas. During 2004, Iran was not a member of the World Trade Organization. and still until November 2009, Iran was again not a member of
Saffron which comes from the Latin word , from the Arabic "za'farān", which comes from the Persian word "zarparan" meaning "flower with golden petals". The domesticated saffron crocus, "Crocus sativus", is an autumn-flowering perennial plant unknown in the wild. It probably descends from the eastern Mediterranean autumn-flowering "Crocus cartwrightianus", which is also known as "wild saffron" and originated in Crete or mainland Greece. An origin in Southwest Asia, although often suspected, has been disapproved by botanical research. The saffron crocus probably resulted when "C. cartwrightianus" was subjected to extensive artificial selection by growers seeking longer stigmas. "C. thomasii" and "C. pallasii"