Iran's ban on export of non-reproductive livestock has been lifted, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported.
Presently, Iran has four million head of livestock in excess of domestic demand, while 10 provinces are now in an emergency situation due to drought and shortage of fodder.
The total number of light and heavy livestock in Iran has been reported at around 73 million.
Some 10,000 reproductive head of light livestock, including sheep, ewe and goat, are being transferred from southern provinces to northwest Iran amid a shortage of grazing feed as a result of drought, the CEO of the National Animal Farmers Association said recently.
“Low precipitation and drought have caused a sharp decline in the amount of fodder in southern pastures and meadows. The main means through which Iranian animal farmers feed their light livestock is by taking them to these grazing fields. With the drying up of pastures, this is no longer possible,” Mojtaba Aali was also quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.
The official noted that grazing fields in northwest Iran are in much better condition.
After the drought worsened in recent months, animal farmers in the south have been sending their livestock to slaughterhouses since they could not afford to feed them with imported animal feed.
Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture has warned agricultural officials about the effect of drought that could cripple the country’s agricultural activities and hamper economic growth in this sector.
The Majlis Research Center has released a list of Iranian provinces in a critical state of water shortage: Isfahan, Hormozgan, Sistan-Baluchestan, Ardabil, Fars, Markazi and Khorasan Razavi.