TEHRAN - Manufacturing of road construction and mining machinery in Iran has increased by 100 percent in the previous Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20), an official with the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry said.

Speaking at the fourth National Event on Knowledge-based Industry on Thursday, Mohammad Mousavi, the deputy minister for heavy machinery and equipment industries, said tractor manufacturing in the previous Iranian year increased by 37 percent compared to the year before.

Mousavi had said earlier in November 2023 that 3,500 road construction and mining machines were manufactured in the country in the previous Iranian calendar year, IRNA reported.

Referring to a plan for the modernization of road construction machinery, he said: “In the field of mining and road construction machinery, we have 15,000 worn-out machines which are over 20 years old. Due to the efforts of the private sector, 10 powerful Iranian companies were able to achieve a 100 percent increase in production in 1401 compared to 1400.”

According to the official, the Industry Ministry is taking the necessary measures to maintain the current upward trend in the production of the mentioned machinery in the country and plans are underway to achieve a 40 percent increase in output in the current year.

He said all the country’s road construction and mining machinery are going to be renovated in the next three years, noting: “The main problem of manufacturing companies is the supply of raw materials, and I hope that the plans we have had for the supply of raw materials will lead to an increase in production [of such machinery].”

The official said Iranian manufacturers of heavy machinery are also eying exports to foreign destinations and the upcoming EAEU exclusive exhibition would be a good opportunity for such companies to ink deals in this regard.

EF/MA