Fifteen neighboring countries accounted for 93% and 81.5% of the weight and value of Iran’s agricultural, fisheries, livestock and food exports during the first 10 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2022-Jan. 20), according to a customs expert.
“A total of 6.25 million tons of agrifood products worth $3.99 billion were exported from Iran during the period, of which 5.8 million tons worth $3.25 billion were exported to the 15 neighboring countries,” Rouhollah Latifi was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
Iraq with $1.25 billion was the main export destination for Iranian agrifood products during the period. The UAE with $486.6 million, Pakistan with $350 million, Russia with $317.4 million and Afghanistan with $252.11 million were other main export destinations of Iran’s agricultural and food exports.
They were followed by Turkey with $154 million, Azerbaijan with $82 million, Qatar with $69 million, Kazakhstan with $62.2 million, Turkmenistan with $60.3 million, Armenia with $58 million, Kuwait with $52.5 million, Oman with $52.4 million, Bahrain with $4 million and Saudi Arabia with $126,000.
The expert noted that other major export destinations of these products during the period were China with $151.7 million, India with $142.5 million, Kyrgyzstan with $32 million, Syria with $29.6 million, Uzbekistan with $27.6 million and Tajikistan with $20.9 million.
Regarding the share of continents in agrifood exports, Latifi said Asia with $3.11 billion worth of imports had a share of 77.8% from total exports, Europe with $833.79 million had a 20.9% share, Africa with $29.7 million had a 0.7% share, Americas with $10.3 million had a share of 0.3% and Oceania with $4.7 million had a 0.1% share.
Pistachios, tomato, apple, watermelon, date, sweets, kiwi, industrial milk powder, fruit juice, cheese, biscuit, bread, potato, food paste, grapes, shrimp, saffron, bell pepper, offal, onion and cream were the main agrifood products exported during the period.
Iraq with $1.25 billion was the main destination for Iran’s agrifood export during the 10 months
According to the Agriculture Ministry, 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.
The ministry also said agrifood imports stood at 21.18 million tons worth $15.33 billion during the period under 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.
According to Majid Reza Hariri, chairman of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, the lion’s share of Iran’s foreign trade is with five countries, namely China, the UAE, Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan.
“A limited number of trading partners is not a good idea for a country whose export destinations are limited. Each of these countries could become a risk if and when they get a bigger share of Iran’s trade and dominate,” he told the Persian daily Ta’adol.
“We are likely to get into trouble for whatever reason, including political issues, with these countries, which account for more than 15% of our trade each. All said, market diversity is a must for import and export. Now that Iran is under sanctions and cannot forge ties with Europe and the US, we need to concentrate on other markets, namely Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America.”
