TEHRAN- The value of agricultural products and foodstuff exports from Iran rose four percent in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), Kaveh Zargaran, the secretary general of Federation of Iranian Food Associations, announced, citing the data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

Zargaran said Iran exported 6.13 million tons of the mentioned products worth $5.93 billion in the past year, indicating five percent growth compared to its preceding year, Public Relations Department of the Federation of Iranian Food Associations reported.

Agricultural products and foodstuff accounted for 13 percent of the country’s non-oil exports during the past year, Zargaran announced.

He mentioned pistachio, dairy products, pastry and chocolate, saffron, apple, date and tomato paste as the major exported products with the value of $3.5 billion and said these products constituted 59 percent of the agricultural and food products exported in the past year.

He also mentioned Iraq, Afghanistan, and United Araba Emirates as three major export destinations of the mentioned products and said over the half of exports has been to these three countries.

With importing 3.041 million tons of agricultural products and foodstuff worth $2.106 billion from Iran, Iraq was the main importer holding 49 percent of the weight and 35 percent of the value of Iran’s exports of these products, Zargaran added.

MA