Jahansaaz told IRNA on Tuesday that some 98,000 metric tons (mt) of tea leaves have been purchased from farmers in two provinces since March.
He said that 58% of the total tea leaf purchases in Iran this year are from the premium type and 42% are second grade, adding that tea leaves are harvested in Iran three times per year.
The official added that according to the latest statistics, some 168 factories in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces have produced more than 22,000 mt of dried tea so far this calendar year.
There are currently 25,000 hectares of tea farms in Gilan and Mazandaran, according to recent government data which indicate that some 30,000 mt of dried tea are produced annually from 135,000 mt of tea leaves harvested in the two provinces.
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