Livestock smuggling to Turkey has increased following the rise in foreign exchange rates and the recent liberalization of meat exports, said the director general of the Central Union of Animal Farmers. “The smuggling of Iranian calves poses a direct threat to the meat industry, since it reduces domestic red meat production and increases the need to import frozen meat, which are often of poor quality,” IRNA quoted Saeed Soltani as saying. The official called for measures to be taken to fight livestock smuggling and excessive exports in a bid to revitalize the industry and curb reliance on imports. More than 230,000 tons of livestock were officially exported and even more smuggled during the past Iranian year (ended March 21), Soltani added.
