TEHRAN- The value of Iran’s agricultural products export has risen 13 percent during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-November 20), compared to the same period of time in the past year, according to an official with the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

Mehrdad Jamal Orounaqi, the IRICA deputy head for technical and customs affairs, put the value of exported products at $3.842 billion in the eight-month period of the present year, IRNA reported.

The official said the weight of agricultural products exported in the mentioned period has risen 27 percent to stand at 5.450 million tons.

Orounaqi pointed out that pistachios, tomatoes, watermelons, tomato paste, pistachio kernels, and apples were the main export items in the mentioned period, noting that the total weight of these items was 1,518,000 tons worth $1.312 billion.

According to the official, 1.417 million tons of the mentioned products worth one billion had been exported during the first eight months of the previous year, that shows that this year’s export has risen 30 percent in terms of value and seven percent in terms of weight.

Regarding the export of pistachio, the deputy minister said: "The export of this commodity this year was 109,000 tons worth $675 million, which has increased by 82 percent in terms of value compared to last year."

Iran exported over $5.8 billion worth of agricultural and foodstuff products in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19), the Head of Agriculture Ministry’s Planning and Economic Affairs Department Shahrokh Shajari has announced.

According to the official, about 7.104 million tons of such products worth $5.821 billion were exported to foreign destinations last year.

In the mentioned period, over 6.941 million tons of agricultural and foodstuff products worth $6.392 billion were also imported into the country, according to Shajari.

Watermelons, apples, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and shallots were the top five exported products in the previous year in terms of weight, while in terms of value, pistachios, apples, tomatoes, pistachio kernels, and watermelons were the five major exported items.

EF/MA