TEHRAN- Iran exported 21,720 tons of pistachio worth more than $154 million during the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-June 20), the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced.

Rouhollah Latifi said Iran’s pistachio was exported to 54 countries during the first quarter, IRNA.

Importing 5,547 tons of pistachio valued at $35.4 million, China was the first export destination of the Iranian product, while Germany, Iraq, Russia, and Kazakhstan came next through importing 2,982 tons, 1,866 tons, 1,455 tons, and 1,129 tons of pistachio, respectively, from Iran in the three-month period, the official stated.

The acting head of Iranian Agriculture Ministry’s Economic Affairs Department Shahrokh Shajari has put Iran’s exports of the agricultural products at about 7.104 million tons worth $5.8 billion in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19).

In the previous year, 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 products, the official said.

Shajari further pointed to the major imported items in terms of weight, saying, corn, barley, soybean meal, soybean, and untreated sugar were the top five imported items, while in terms of value livestock corn, rice, barley, and soybeans were the top imported products.

MA/MA