Iran expects to earn some $2 billon from exports of dairy products to China in the next two years as part of recent bilateral agreements that will lead to an increase in Iranian agrifood exports to the east Asian country.
Iran’s agriculture minister Javad Sadatinejad said on Wednesday that the country had secured an agreement with China under which Iranian dairy companies can launch exports to the country for a first time.
Sadatinejad said the agreement was finalized during a visit last week by Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi to China and was part of a larger food diplomacy understanding to expand agriculture cooperation with Beijing.
He said China will also start importing apple from Iran under the deal signed last week, adding that some 100,000 metric tons of Iranian apple shipments will be exported to China under a first phase of the agreement.
The minister said Iranian agrifood exports to China had reached some $350 million in the 10 months to late January, adding that the figure was a fivefold increase compared to exports figures reported four years ago.