Poultry Meat Output Declines

A total of 186,205 tons of poultry meat were produced in Iran’s official slaughterhouses during the first month of the current Iranian year (March 21-April 20), registering a 10% decrease compared with last year’s corresponding period and a 4% decline compared with the previous month. 
According to the Statistical Center of Iran, chicken accounted for 180,126 tons, or 96.7% of the total poultry production.
Production of other types of poultry, such as turkey, quail, ostrich and partridge, stood at 6,079 tons, accounting for 3.3% of the overall output during the period under review.
The poultry industry is one of the most important sub-sectors of the agriculture economy in Iran whose output hit $10 billion annually. The industry produces about 2.65 million tons of chicken meat worth $6 billion per year, which ranks first among the top 20 products of Iran’s agriculture sector. 
In addition, 1.5 million tons of eggs (worth $3 billion) are produced in the country annually which, together with chicken meat, create an added value of $5 billion and play an important role in the country’s gross domestic product. 
Poultry industry and its related supply chain have been developed in the country during the past 60 years, thanks to the latest available technologies; it has become one of the most modern industries in the country. 
“As hundreds of thousands of skilled workers are employed in this sector, it has the highest employment rate among all the industries of the country. Most importantly, when it comes to food security, which is the main concern of all governments in the world, the poultry industry shoulders the main burden of providing protein; it has been able to achieve a per capita consumption of 30 kilograms of chicken meat for the 85 million people of our country,” Reza Mobser and Farrokh Qobadi, economic analysts and poultry market players, wrote for the Persian daily Donya-e-Eqtesad.