Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug.24/ Trend F.Milad/
The value of exports of agricultural products was $64.1 billion more than imports in the past calendar year, which ended on March 19, the agriculture minister stated.
Sadeq Khalilian did not mention to specific values of exports and imports, but said that the exports included 77 million tons of farming crops, 18.3 million tons of garden products, 720,000 tons of fishery products, and 14.3 million tons of anima products.
Iran's agricultural output reached around 118 million tons in the previous calendar year, the deputy agriculture minister said.
The agricultural output includes animal, farm, fishery and garden products, Mohammad-Ali Nikbakht added, the IRNA News Agency reported.
The volume of Iran's agricultural products stood at 108 million tons in the past Iranian year, the official noted.
The Iranian parliament (Majlis) approved a bill last year to ban imports of non-essential agricultural crops. According to the law, the importation of 49 agricultural products was restricted.
In November 2010, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced plans to boost the country's annual production of agricultural goods to over 200 million tons in four years.
He said some imported agricultural products have become key components of the country's national security, but expressed concerns that such products are being used as a pressure tool by hegemonic powers in order to impose their demands on other nations.