TEHRAN- The value of Iran’s export of agricultural products has risen nine percent during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-July 22), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, the deputy head of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced on Saturday.

Mehrdad Jamal Orounaqi, the IRICA deputy head for technical affairs, said that over 2.5 million tons of agricultural products worth more than $1.7 billion has been exported in the four-month period.

The main foodstuffs and agricultural products exported during this period were tomatoes, pistachios, watermelons, tomato paste, cheese, apples, melons, potatoes, dates and various sweets, the official stated, and named Iraq, China, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates as the main export destinations of the products.

Despite the economic sanctions, the coronavirus pandemic and the current drought, the value of exported agricultural products has increased in value compared to the same period last year, he said and expressed hope that this upward trend will continue through taking the needed measures by the related organizations.

The IRICA head has put Iran’s four-month non-oil export at 38.3 million tons valued at $14.3 billion, with a 65-percent rise in value and a 27-percent growth in weight.

He has mentioned liquefied gas, polyethylene, iron semi-finished products, methanol, gasoline, iron and steel ingots, steel products, iron rods, liquid propane, bitumen, and copper cathode as the main exported products in the said time span.

He said major export destinations of the Iranian non-oil goods were China with about 10 million tons worth $4.3 billion, Iraq with 10.9 million tons worth $2.8 billion, the United Arab Emirates with 4.3 million tons worth $1.6 billion, Turkey with one million tons worth $923 million, and Afghanistan with 1.8 million tons worth $728 million.

MA/MA