A total of 5.77 tons of caviar were exported from Iran to 33 countries in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2022), registering a 65% increase compared with the year before, an official with Iran Fisheries Organization said, citing figures released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
“More than 3.77 tons of the total sum were shipped from the country’s customs terminals and the remaining two tons were exported via suitcase trade,” Nasser Karami-Rad was also quoted as saying by ISNA.
Each kilogram of exported caviar is priced at €1,000-1,300, the official said, adding that when it reaches consumers, prices increase to €3,000-4,000.
Iran is the biggest producer of beluga caviar in the world, he added.
Beluga caviar consists of the roe (or eggs) of the beluga sturgeon Huso huso. The fish is found primarily in the Caspian Sea. It can also be found in the Black Sea basin and occasionally in the Adriatic Sea. Beluga caviar is the most expensive type of caviar.