Agricultural exports surge 32% in past 12 months: Minister
Iran’s agricultural exports have grown by 32% over the 12 months, marking a major improvement in the sector’s trade balance from minus $11 billion to minus $8 billion, Minister of Agriculture, Gholamreza Nouri, said on Thursday.
“Iranian produce is increasingly reaching international markets,” Nouri said, according to ILNA, citing the recent arrival of Iranian apples in the Philippines as an example.
He attributed the feats to “active agricultural diplomacy” and carefully crafted policies aimed at enhancing product quality and expanding export opportunities for farmers and orchardists.
During a visit to the counties of Ahar and Heris in East Azerbaijan Province in northwestern Iran, Nouri pointed to the health standards of Iranian agricultural products, noting that Iran ranked among the world’s healthiest producers, based on fertilizer and pesticide statistics.
Exported goods, he added, had successfully passed the strictest technical protocols in Europe and Russia, with only one minor issue involving pistachio exports that had been swiftly resolved through cooperation with the European Union.
The minister also said that 23 types of pesticides had been phased out, with plans underway to import higher-quality alternatives from advanced countries.
The minister revealed the launch and expansion of “Village Markets,” designed to strengthen distribution networks and return greater profits to producers. In recent months, 350 rural markets have been opened, with a target of 3,000 units soon, he said. “These markets will be managed by producer cooperatives to maximize benefits for farmers.”
Nouri said the ministry’s main task was to set sound policies and craft strategic plans that could steer the agricultural sector in line with the country’s capacities and production resources.
“Producers must first be able to stand on their own feet for production to take shape, and it must be viable and profitable,” he said. “Our aim is to avoid any activity that wastes the producer’s capital or time.”