Iran exported 8.83 million tons of agricultural and food products worth $6.21 billion in the last fiscal year (ended March 2021).
The figures indicate a 23.57% and 5.99% rise in tonnage and value respectively compared with the output of the year before, the Agriculture Ministry’s website reported.
Fresh and dried pistachio topped the list of exports in terms of value, as the country exported $1.37 billion worth of it during the period.
Tomato was the second major agricultural export product in terms of value with $358.45 million, followed by apple with $326.67 million, dates with $296.7 million and dried grapes with $234.3 million.
In terms of tonnage, potato topped the list with 950,400 tons, followed by apple with 884,800 tons, tomato with 767,870 tons, watermelon with 703.38 tons and onion with 429.4 tons.
Agronomical products accounted for 5.42 million tons worth $2.07 billion of total exports, up 22.08% in terms of tonnage and down 1.16% in terms of value year-on-year.
Horticultural exports stood at 2.6 million tons worth $3.2 billion, up 32.15% and 16.68% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Exports of livestock and poultry products stood at 674,860 tons worth $677.14 million, up 14.44% in tonnage and down 6.64% in value YOY.
In terms of tonnage, potato topped the list of exports with 950,400 tons
The veterinary sector exported 885 tons of products worth $7.82 million, up 153% and 223% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
The fisheries sector exported 110.6 tons worth $208.66 million, posting a decrease of 12.54% in total volume and 16.37% drop in value respectively YOY.
Exports from the forest and rangeland sector hit 20,120 tons worth $31.73 million, up 23.57% and 5.99% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Imports Down 27.9%
Imports during the same period stood at 23.69 million tons worth $10.9 billion, indicating a year-on-year decline of 5.53% in volume and 14.45% fall in value respectively.
Feed corn had the biggest share in imports in terms of value with $2.506 billion, followed by soybean with $1.04 billion, semi- and whole-milled rice with $932.5 million and various types of vegetable oil with $848.74 million.
In terms of tonnage, feed corn topped imports with 9.86 million tons, followed by wheat with 2.28 million tons, barley with 1.86 million tons and soymeal with 1.81 million tons.
Agronomical products accounted for 22.5 million tons worth $8.8 billion of total imports, down 3.91% in tonnage and down 9.39% in value YOY.
Horticultural products stood at 1.01 million tons worth $1.23 billion, down 20.8% and 13.44% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Imports of livestock and poultry products hit 100,900 tons worth $445.3 million, down 67.8% and 67.3% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
The veterinary sector imported 3.813 tons worth $312 million, up 199% in tonnage and 295.5% in value respectively YOY.
Imports by the fisheries sector amounted to 19,760 tons worth $47.56 million, down 25.5% in tonnage and 33.87% in value respectively YOY.
Imports from the forest and rangeland sector totaled 46,520 tons worth $58.2 million, up 32.91% in tonnage and 5.11% in value YOY.
The export and import volumes indicate that Iran recorded an agrifood trade deficit of 14.86 million tons in tonnage and $4.69 billion in value during the last Iranian year.
Main Driver of Growth
The agriculture sector is the main driver of growth in Iran’s economy.
The economy grew by 0.8% during the third quarter of last fiscal year (Sept. 22-Dec. 20, 2020), the Statistical Center of Iran’s latest report showed.
Growth, excluding the oil sector, was at 0.2% during the three-month period.
The “agriculture” sector saw a 5.5% expansion during the period, marking the highest among economic sectors.
“Industries and mining” expanded with 3.7% and “industries and mining sector, excluding oil” with 3.1%.
The “services” sector contracted 1.8% during the third quarter of the current year.
“Construction”, which is a subsector of “industries and mining” group, expanded by 8.5% in Q3.
The SCI report also shows Iran’s gross domestic product during the nine-month period leading to Dec. 20, 2020 (Q1-3) contracted by 1.2% compared with the corresponding period of the year before.
Economic growth, excluding oil, saw a 1% decline during the three quarters.
A sectoral breakdown of growth rates during the nine-month period shows that “agriculture” also topped the list of growth with 3%.
“Industries and mining” and “industries and mining (excluding oil)” sectors experienced growth rates of 0.8% and 2.5% respectively.
The services sector contracted by 3.3% while the construction subsector expanded by 3.9%.
Agriculture was the only sector that experienced growth in the last Iranian year (March 2020-21).
According to the Statistical Center of Iran, the sector expanded by 3% during the fiscal 2020-21, while the Iranian economy experienced a 7% contraction.
SCI noted that GDP shrank by -0.6%, excluding oil production.
The sectors of "industries and mines" and ""services" saw a respective contraction of 14.7% and 0.3%.
