Iran exported 1.06 million tons of agricultural and food products worth $467.43 million in the first month of the current fiscal year (ended April 20).
The figures indicate a 57.09% and 40.87% rise in tonnage and value respectively compared with last year’s corresponding period, the Agriculture Ministry’s website reported.
Tomato topped the list of exports in terms of value, as the country exported $65.42 million worth of it during the period.
Watermelon was the second major agricultural export product in terms of value with $55.51 million, followed by fresh and dry pistachio with $50.55 million, dates with $33.15 million and apple with $31.06 million.
In terms of tonnage, watermelon topped the list with 263,970 tons, followed by tomato with 137.74 tons, potato with 133.81 tons and apple with 97.11 tons.
Agronomical products accounted for 784,440 tons worth $228 million of total exports, up 75.76% in terms of tonnage and 49.03% in terms of value year-on-year.
Horticultural exports reached 216,720 tons worth $185.34 million, up 28.9% and 67.75% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
The export of livestock and poultry products stood at 53,000 tons worth $49.56 million, down 3% in tonnage and down 28.03% in value YOY.
The veterinary sector exported 61 tons of products worth $369,000, while the fisheries sector exported 7.6 tons worth $12.37 million, posting a growth of 20.25% in volume and 4.51% in value respectively YOY.
Exports from the forest and rangeland sector hit 1.06 tons worth $1.39 million, up 18.55% and 10.35% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Iran exported 8.83 million tons of agricultural and food products worth $6.21 billion during the last fiscal year (ended March 2021).
Imports Down 29%
Imports in the last fiscal year stood at 1.45 million tons worth $882.6 million, indicating a 29.7% decline in volume and a 6.16% gain in value year-on-year respectively.
Various types of vegetable oil had the biggest share in total imports in terms of value with $149.5 million, followed by wheat with $103 million, semi- and whole-milled rice with $89.17 million and soybean meal with $76 million.
In terms of tonnage, wheat topped imports with 346,000 tons, followed by barley with 186,000 tons, soybean meal with 161,000 tons and feed corn with 144,000 tons.
Agronomical products accounted for 1.34 million tons worth $712 million of total imports, down 32%% in tonnage and up 0.02% in value YOY.
Horticultural products stood at 110,000 tons worth $124.35 million, up 81% and 81.28% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Imports of livestock and poultry products hit 4,140 tons worth $17.24 million, down 62.9% and 64.2% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
The veterinary sector imported 189 tons worth $22.05 million, up 747% in tonnage and 640% in value respectively YOY.
Imports by the fisheries sector amounted to 1,410 tons worth $2.79 million, up 30.1% in tonnage and 46.9% in value respectively YOY.
Imports from the forest and rangeland sector totaled 56 tons worth $3.58 million, down 9.22% in tonnage and up 337.8% in value YOY.
The export and import volumes suggest that Iran recorded an agrifood trade deficit of 396,990 tons and $414.8 million during the first month of the Iranian year.
Fiscal 2020-21 Exports at $6.2b
Iran exported 8.83 million tons of agricultural and food products worth $6.21 billion in the last fiscal year. 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 dry 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 raisins 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.
Imports during same period stood at 23.69 million tons worth $10.9 billion, indicating a year-on-year 5.53% decline in volume and a 14.45% fall in value respectively.
Feed corn had the biggest share in total 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.
The export and import volumes suggest Iran recorded an agrifood trade deficit of 14.86 million tons and $4.69 billion in the last Iranian year.
Main Driver of Growth
The agriculture sector has been one of the main drivers of growth in Iran’s economy amid recession in other sectors in recent years.
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 shows.
Growth, excluding oil, 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.
The industries and mining expanded with 3.7% while industries and mining, excluding oil recorded 3.1%.
The services sector contracted by 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 ending 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 Q1-3 period.
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, as well as industries and mining, excluding oil experienced growth rates of 0.8% and 2.5% respectively.
The services sector contracted by 3.3% and construction expanded by 3.9%.
Agriculture was also 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 2019-20, while the overall 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%.
ICCIMA: Water Crisis Jeopardizes Growth
Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture has warned agricultural officials in a recent report of an imminent drought that would cripple the country’s agricultural activities and hamper economic growth in this sector in the current Iranian year (March 2021-22).
The ICCIMA report says precipitation levels have drastically fallen over the past two months and will reach 142 millimeters, which is 52% less than last year’s similar period, Mehr News Agency reported.
Last month, Majlis Research Center released a list of Iranian provinces facing a critical water shortage: Isfahan, Hormozgan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Ardabil, Fars, Markazi and Khorasan Razavi.
The center has also pointed to the decline in dam water storage levels across the country, saying that on average, only 58% of the country’s dam capacities are currently full, which indicates a critical water situation.
