Plans underway to export citrus fruits to Persian Gulf states

Iran’s exports of citrus fruits will soon hit the shelves in Persian Gulf states as the country aims to expand its exports to neighboring countries, said deputy minister of agriculture.

“We are trying to open new corridors for exports of Iran’s citrus fruits to littoral states of the Persian Gulf and Iraq,” Hossein Shirzad said, IRNA reported.

Shirzad said the expected exports of the citrus fruits will drive up the prices in domestic markets, adding that his ministry has devised plans to control price fluctuations. Iran’s weakened national currency has stimulated the country’s exports and made imports more expensive.

In recent months, traders in Iran’s neighboring countries, especially Iraq, have bought Iran’s agro products, pushing the prices up inside the country.

The rise in demands for Iran’s fruits and vegetables by foreign trades has even led to the government imposing bans on some products to stem the rising prices.

Shirzad said more than 2.5 million tons of citrus fruits are cultivated on 110,000 hectares of land in the northern Mazandaran Province every year, out of which 750,000 tons are oranges.

IRNA reported last year that close to 340 tons of citrus fruits worth over $135,300 were exported from Mazandaran Province, registering an 87 percent and 60 percent growth in tonnage and value respectively.

Iraq, Turkmenistan and Qatar with 13,800 tons, 899 tons and 755 tons of purchases respectively were Iran’s top three export destinations for the product.

Some 16,000 tons of the citrus fruit were also imported into Iran from Turkey and Egypt during the period, according to the report.