TEHRAN- Iran exported 700,000 tons of apples in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), the head of the Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives of Iran announced.

Saying that Iranian apple has been exported to Russia and Eurasian Economic Union (UAEU)’s member countries in the past year, Ali Tahmasbi said exports of apple has had a proper status in the recent years, ILNA reported.

Tahmasbi said that 50 percent of the exported apples were produced in the northwestern West Azarbaijan province.

He also put the country’s apple output at over four million tons in the previous year.

Iran’s agricultural production stood at 125 million tons in the past year, according to the Agriculture Minister Kazem Khavazi.

The minister has said that agricultural production is expected to reach 130 million tons in the current year.

“This year, the government is paying special attention to the agricultural sector for achieving self-sufficiency in most agricultural and strategic products,” the official said.

He noted that apart from increasing production, the Agriculture Ministry also seeks to increase productivity by developing processing industries in this sector.

MA/MA