More than 21,500 tons of watermelon worth 134.5 billion rials (about $3.6 million) were exported from Iran in the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2017), registering a decline of 96% and 97% in tonnage and value respectively compared with the year before, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration said.
The UAE, Iraq, Turkey, Kuwait, Qatar, Russia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan were the main export destinations for Iranian watermelon during the period, the Young Journalists Club reported.
Agricultural experts have frequently warned against the export of watermelon amid the acute shortage of water in the country, as it’s a highly water-intensive crop.
