Iran’s Apple Exports Hike

Iran has exported 403,000 tons of apples worth US$764 million during the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-December 20, 2020), which was 60% more than the export in the same period of time in the past year in terms of value. The nine-month export of the product also shows a 34% rise in terms of weight, according to an official with the Agricultural Jihad Ministry. The annual production of apples in Iran is predicted to rise 3% to 4.12 million tons in the current Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20, 2021), according to an official with the Agricultural Jihad Ministry.

Darab Hasani, the director-general of the ministry’s office of cold and dry regions fruits, said that the annual export of apples is estimated to hit 1.3 million tons in this year, which is 3% more than the figure of the previous year, which was 740,000 tons. The export of apple has had a proper status in recent years. As previously announced by the head of the Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives of Iran, apples have been exported to Russia and Eurasian Economic Union (UAEU)’s member countries in the past year. Ali Tahmasbi said that 50% of the exported apples were produced in the northwestern West Azarbaijan province.

Iran’s agricultural production stood at 125 million tons in the past year, according to the Agricultural Jihad Minister Kazem Khavazi. The minister has said that agricultural production is expected to reach 130 million tons in the current year. “This year, the government is paying special attention to the agricultural sector for achieving self-sufficiency in most agricultural and strategic products,” the official said. He noted that apart from increasing production, the Agricultural Jihad Ministry also seeks to increase productivity by developing processing industries in this sector. - Tehran Times