Cattle farms in Iran produced 1.89 million tons of milk and 355,000 heads of heavy livestock in the second quarter of the current year (June 21-Sept. 21), indicating a 2.16% and 0.57% increase compared with the preceding quarter.
According to the latest report released by the Statistical Center of Iran, a total of 4.85 million heads of heavy livestock in Iran’s cattle farms in Q2, indicating a 1% decrease compared with the preceding quarter.
A total of 299,000 calves were born in these farms over the same period, registering a 23.92% decline quarter-on-quarter.
SCI earlier reported that there were 43 million sheep and lambs as well as 15.3 million goats and goat kids in Iran's livestock farms in Q2, registering an increase of 0.3% in the number of former but a decline of 7% in the latter compared with the same period of last year.
A total of 1.4 million lambs and 453,000 goat kids were born during the second quarter, registering a 71.2% and 82% decline compared with the previous quarter.
Domestic livestock farms raised 3.9 million sheep and lambs and 1.2 million goats and goat kids during the period, which indicate a 35.9% and 23.6% growth quarter-on-quarter.
Milk production by sheep and goats is estimated to stand at 46,400 and 40,000 tons, respectively.
“Thanks to the seasonal increase in the number of cattle in spring and summer, the supply of lightweight livestock has increased by 50%, that of lamb by 35%, live calves by 40% and the supply of veal has grown by 25%,” says Mansour Pourian, the head of country’s livestock suppliers’ council.
“The country needs 900,000 tons of red meat annually, of which 10% are met via imports. With the growth in cattle population, we hope to reach self-sufficiency in red meat production next year,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
