Tehran, Iran, August 29--A senior handicraft industry official said that Iran’s handicraft exports from March to July this year rose by 187% to reach $57 mln.
Ali Yazdani, who heads Iran's Handicraft Organization, told that there are more than 256 categories in the handicraft industry, stressing that some of these categories have now turned old-fashioned or are on the verge of extinction.
"Given our high global status in the handicraft industry, we need to take practical steps to revive some handicraft arts, which are being destroyed," he said, adding that the organization has handed over the Persian carpet industry-related affairs to the Commerce Ministry in view of its significance in generating revenues and jobs.
He further noted that the organization has high on its agenda the policy of protecting industrialists and university graduates in handicraft industry-related majors, stressing that it is also planning to create provincial handicraft markets and promote training schemes.
Iran exported more than $100 mln worth of handicraft in the year ending March 2005. Handicraft exports rose from $60 million to $76 mln during 2003-2004. The country is said to be amongst the world’s top three countries in terms of handicraft production.
In the year to March 2005, some 1.2 mln tourists visited Iran taking 440 bln rials worth of handicrafts as souvenirs back to their countries.
