<p></p><p>Iran’s 2015 Mozafati fresh date harvest is coming to a close, and this year's harvest volume is approximately 30% smaller than last year. Behnaz H. Beik, of Aban Arya, a company devoted to the packing and export of dates, "affirms that quality is good, with berries of a large size."When it comes to packing, she explains that a normal weight is around 7.5 kilos. “Heavier than this is better and lighter than this is not so good.” For Ana Arya, Mozafati cartons below 7 kilos have been rare in this years’ crop. This is different to last year, when cartons of 8 kilos and over were rare, with the majority standing below 7 kilos. “Gross weight is a sign of quality of the fruit inside. In fact, heavier master cartons are assumed as better quality than lighter cartons. Heavier cartons are also sold at higher prices on grounds of their better quality.”Due to this year’s small harvest, it is predicted that the price of the Mozafati will go up and up during the season, and those who manage to cover their orders as soon as possible will be the ones taking the most advantage of the situation.Needless to say the Mozafati situation affects prices of other varieties, especially the ones that could be used as a replacement for Mozafat, like Kali and Kab Kub. “An increased market is also predicted for other varieties, such as the Rabbee, Sayer and others in the price chain. Therefore, the sooner you cover orders for Iranian dates of all varieties, the smarter you are.” Usually, purchases for Ramadan begin in Feb, but in this exceptional year it is recommended that the best time to order for Ramadan 2016 is from now to December 2015.<br></p><p></p>