Iran’s agricultural exports up 29% in year to late March

Agricultural exports from Iran rose by nearly a third in the calendar year to late March, according to figures by the Iranian customs office (IRICA), amid efforts by the government to diversify the Iranian economy away from crude oil revenues.

IRICA figures cited in a Saturday report by the ISNA news agency showed that the country had exported some $5.2 billion worth of agricultural products in the year to March 20, up 29% from the year before.

Iranian export shipments also rose by 11% in volume terms to reach 7.6 million metric tons in the past calendar year, IRICA said.

Pistachio was Iran’s top agricultural export earner with some $1.5 billion worth of shipments recorded over the calendar year to late March, IRICA figures showed.

The data showed that Iran’s fishery exports had increased by 17% in the year to late March to reach $372 million, with shrimp and tuna fish being the main export items.

China, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were the main buyers of Iranian fishery exports in the past calendar year, said the Iranian customs office.

It said that Iran had exported $233 million worth of tomatoes over the year to late March, while exports of dates had reached 205 million over the period.

IRICA figures showed that saffron exports had generated $185 million in revenues for Iran in the past calendar year, with the UAE, Spai,n and China being the main export destinations.

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