Azerbaijan, Baku, May.5/ Trend F.Karimov/
Iran imported 481,000 tons of fruits in the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, ILNA quoted Iranian Customs Administration head Abbas Memarnejad as saying.
The imports amounted to $354 million in value, he noted.
Fruit imports last year decreased by 40 percent and 36 percent in weight and value, respectively, compared to the figures in its preceding year.
In October 2012, ISNA reported that Iran ranked first in the Middle East and 9th in the world in fruit production, with an annual harvest of about 20 million tons, according to the Agriculture Jihad Ministry.
The products were exported to 100 countries, bringing in over $2.87 billion in income.
Iraq and the United Arab Emirates were the major buyers of Iranian fruit. Citrus fruits, apples, grapes, and peaches are the main fruits exported by Iran.
In January, the Fars News Agency quoted Iran's deputy agriculture minister Jahangir Pourhemmat as saying that Iran's agricultural exports grew in the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, with pistachio and saffron sales almost doubling, despite Western sanctions on trade with the country.
"Export of farming products has increased 15 percent compared to the previous year, while the agricultural exports are still on the increase on a daily basis," Pourhemmat added.
Iran needs to work on the packaging in order to boost its fruits exports, officials say.