Iran exported 6.26 million tons of agricultural and food products worth $4.03 billion during the first 10 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2022-Jan. 20), new data released by the Agriculture Ministry show.
The figures indicate a fall of 10.24% in tonnage and 7.22% in value compared with last year's corresponding period.
Pistachio topped the list of exports in terms of value with $327.62 million. Tomato was the second major agricultural export commodity in terms of value with $256.63 million, followed by milk powder worth $251.86 million, dates worth $205.95 million and watermelon worth $181.57 million.
In terms of tonnage, watermelon topped the list with 831,690 tons, tomato with 551,470 tons, followed by apple with 422,930 tons, onion, shallot and garlic with 390,710 tons and dates with 247,060 tons.
Agronomic products accounted for 3.98 million tons worth $1.38 billion of total exports, down 9.39% and 10.72% in terms of tonnage and value respectively.
Horticultural exports amounted to 1.56 million tons worth $1.55 billion, down 19.12% in terms of tonnage and down 24.65% in value respectively.
Exports of livestock and poultry products reached 579,200 tons worth $799.47 million, up 10.2% in tonnage and up 52.86% in value.
The veterinary sector exported 711 tons of products worth $6.77 million, down 19.88% and 16.45% in weight and value respectively.
The fisheries sector exported 113,730 tons worth $265.04 million, posting a rise of 16.13% and 50% in total volume and value respectively.
Exports from the forest and rangeland sector hit 16,380 tons worth $21.99 million, down 2.95% in terms of tonnage and down 9.54% in terms of value, respectively.
Iran exported 8.5 million tons of agricultural and food products worth $5.23 billion in the last Iranian year (March 2021-22) and 8.83 million tons worth $6.21 billion in the year before.
Iran’s 15 neighboring countries were the destinations of 89% of the country’s agricultural and food exports in terms of tonnage during the last Iranian year (March 2021-22), according to a customs expert, Rouhollah Latifi, IRIB News reported.
“Iraq alone accounted for 37% of Iran’s total exports,” he said, adding that more than 65% of Iran’s imports are agrifood products.
Neighbors imported 7.6 million tons from Iran’s total 8.5 million tons of agrifood exports last year.
Iraq was the biggest importer with 3.238 million tons. Among neighboring countries, Iraq was followed by the UAE with 1.74 million tons, Afghanistan with 832,000 tons, Turkey with 269,000 tons, Azerbaijan with 207,000 tons, Armenia with 81,000 tons, Turkmenistan with 203,000 tons, Russia with 634,000 tons, Pakistan with 507,000 tons, Qatar with 190,000 tons, Oman with 171,000 tons, Kazakhstan with 120,000 tons, Kuwait with 73,000 tons and Bahrain with 3,122 tons. Exports to Saudi Arabia were insignificant.
Imports at 21.18m Tons Worth $15.33b
Agrifood imports stood at 21.18 million tons worth $15.33 billion during the 10-month period under the Agriculture Ministry’s review, indicating a 14.51% fall in weight but an 11.08% rise in value year-on-year.
Corn worth $2.83 billion had the biggest share of imports in terms of value, followed by different kinds of oil worth $2.15 billion, rice worth $1.79 billion, GM soybeans worth $1.59 billion and wheat worth $1.54 billion.
In terms of tonnage, corn topped imports with 70.33 million tons, followed by wheat with 3.5 million tons, followed by GM soybeans with 2.06 million tons, barley with 1.88 million tons and rice with 1.53 million tons.
Agronomic products accounted for 19.8 million tons worth $12.62 billion of total imports, down 15.25% in weight, but up 10.65% in value YOY.
Horticultural products stood at 1.18 million tons worth $1.85 billion, down 1.59% in tonnage, but a rise of 23.91% in value YOY.
Imports of livestock and poultry products hit 147,520 tons worth $472.43 million, down 5.18% and 3.98% in tonnage and value, respectively.
The veterinary sector imported 8,047 tons worth $304.07 million, up 74.26% in tonnage, but down 8.81% in terms of value.
Imports by the fisheries sector amounted to 8,790 tons worth $27.15 million, down 14.48% and 1.91% in tonnage and value respectively.
The forest and rangeland sector's imports totaled 23,950 tons worth $53.69 million, down 16.8% in tonnage, but up 15.47% in value.
The export and import volumes indicate that Iran recorded an agrifood trade deficit of 14.92 million tons in tonnage and $11.29 billion in value during the period under review.
