Iran’s Exports of Farmed Caviar Up 112 Percent in 9 Months
Nasser Karami Raad, the director-general of the Office for the Restoration and Conservation of Genetic Aquatic Resources at Iran's Fisheries Organization (IFO), said that 5,346 kilograms of farmed caviar, valued at $3.2 million, were exported through Iranian customs during the 9-month period.
He attributed the rise in exports primarily to the high quality of Iran's farmed caviar and its prominent demand in the international markets.
Last year, Iran produced 21,612 kilograms of farmed caviar, and this year’s total production figures will be finalized soon, Karami Raad added.
He said that Iran’s caviar has reached 28 countries this year, with the UAE, Qatar, and Belgium as the top three destinations.
An official with the Iranian agriculture ministry announced in July that the country’s exports of aquatic products in the first three months of the current year in the Iranian calendar (March 21 to June 22, 2024) registered more than 40% and 30% growth in weight and value, respectively compared to the same period last year.
Abbas Mokhtari Abkenari, the director general of the Department of Quality Improvement, Processing, and Market Development of Aquatic Products at the Iranian Ministry of Agricultural Jihad said that the exports of aquatic products considerably increased in the first quarter of this year of 1403 in the Iranian calendar in comparison with the last year’s same first quarter.
Mokhtari said that the volume of export in the first quarter of last year in the Iranian calendar (1402) was 52,282 tons worth $93.1 million, while that volume increased to 73,369 tons valued at $121.4 million in the first quarter of this year (1403).
The agricultural official also said that 1,353 kg of quality caviar valued at $721,000, were exported from the country in the first quarter of 1403, indicating a 41% and 82% increase in value and weight, respectively as compared to the same period last year.
Mokhtari added that there has been more than 65% increase in the export of aquatic feed from the country in the first three months of 1403, explaining that the volume of export of aquatic feed this year was 23, 724 tons worth $20.2 million, showing more than 65% growth in both weight and value as compared to the last year’s spring.
The imports of raw materials and aquaculture inputs in the first quarter of this year is estimated at 13, 972 tons valued at $37.9 million, according to the Iranian official.
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