Agricultural and food products accounted for more than 20% of Iran's total non-oil exports during the first two months of the current Iranian year (March 20-May 20).
According to Agriculture Ministry, a total of 1.67 million tons of agrifood products worth over $890 were exported from Iran during the period to register a 19.44% rise in tonnage but 8.79% decline in value compared with last year’s corresponding period.
Total non-oil exports, according to Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesperson of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, stood at 14.5 million tons worth $4.3 billion during the same period.
Oil-based products and by-products, as well as petrochemical products, are included in IRICA's non-oil export data. In fact, petrochemicals and gas condensates constitute the greater share of total exports. Therefore, the true share of agrifood products in the real value of non-oil related products is much higher than 20%.
Fresh and dried pistachio was the second major exported agricultural product in terms of value with $65.86 million, followed by apple with $48.9 million, fresh potato with $26.39 million, watermelon with $24.51 million and melon with $24.34 million.
In term of tonnage, watermelons also topped the list with 413,200 tons, followed by tomatoes with 209,380 tons, fresh potato with 133,330 tons, apples with 130,670 tons and melons with 94,970 tons.
Agronomical products accounted for 1.18 million tons worth $419.67 million of total exports, up 10.41% in tonnage and down 15.6% in value year-on-year.
Exports of horticultural products stood at 328,860 tons worth $297.9 million, up 65.08% and 1.41% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Livestock and poultry exports stood at 138,760 tons worth $137.07 million, up 27.18% in tonnage and down 10.62% in value YOY.
The veterinary sector exported 51 tons worth $255,000, up 91.85% in tonnage and down 16.68% in value respectively YOY.
The fisheries sector exported 15,630 tons worth $30.52 million, up 4.86% and 11.04% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Exports from the forest and rangeland sector hit 2,800 tons worth $4.23 million, up 1.06% and 33.44% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Imports of agrifood products stood at 5.18 million tons worth $1.87 billion during the two months under review, indicating a 21.28% growth in tonnage but a 24% decrease in value year-on-year.
The country recorded a trade deficit of 3.52 million tons in tonnage and $979.25 million in value in the agrifood sector.
Iran's overall non-oil imports hit 6.5 million tons worth $5.04 billion during the two months to May 20 for the country to post a trade deficit of $741 million over the first two months of the current fiscal year.