TEHRAN - Exports from Iran’s livestock and poultry industry during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-November 21) increased by seven percent compared to last year’s same period.

According to Deputy Agriculture Minister Hassan Rokni, the country exported some $867 million worth of such products to the world markets in the said time span, IRIB news reported.

The official noted a significant rise in the exports of dairy products as one of the main drivers of the raised exports.

“We had a significant increase in exports of dairy products such as milk so that near 690,000 tons of such products were exported (in the mentioned period),” he said.

Earlier in April, Rokni put the value of exports from livestock and poultry industry at $1.2 billion in the last Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20, 2017), noting that the sector enjoyed a trade surplus of $554 million.

As reported by Mehr news agency, on exports volume of such products in the previous year, Rokni said total exports of poultry and eggs stood at about 100,000 tons while 750,000 tons of dairy products were also deployed to global markets.

EF/MA