Iran’s annual red meat production amounts to 820,000 tons while consumption is about 880,000 tons, yet some 100,000 tons of frozen red meat are imported, which is 40,000 tons in excess of domestic demand, the head of Guild Association of Cow Breeders said. “Excessive imports are causing problems for livestock breeders. Currently, we have surplus production, which is exported. Rumors of shortage in the market come from dealers who seek to increase the price,” Mehr News Agency also quoted Ahmad Moqaddasi as saying. According to Deputy Agriculture Minister Hassan Rokni, some 460,000 head of livestock have been exported since the beginning of the current Iranian year (started March 20, 2016).
