Tehran, Iran, Sept. 14
Trend:
Seyed Reza Nourani, the head of Iran's Agricultural Products Exporters Union, said tomato and potato production in Iran saw a sharp decline in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21) compared to the same period last year.
Higher prices and farmers’ disinterest in growing potato and tomato have caused a sharp decline in the production of the vegetables, Nourani told Mehr news agency on September 14.
"The reason behind this is not at all excessive exports to the country, as some experts argue," he stressed.
The official said the farmers have failed to obtain a fair share of the economic prosperity since the start of their crop year.
Iran exported 86,142 tons of potatoes worth $26.68 million during the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 21-July 22), latest data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration show.
Turkmenistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and the UAE were the main customers of Iranian potatoes during the period.
During the first three months of this year, Iran exported 217,909 tons of tomatoes worth $74.2 million
Iraq, Russia, Afghanistan, the UAE and Qatar were the biggest customers of Iranian tomato during the period.