TEHRAN, Iran, June 15
Trend:
Iran Fisheries Organization plans to increase production in the current Iranian year (started March 20, 2020), said the head of the organization.
Nabiullah Khon Mirzaei has discussed the production of fishery products during the last Iranian year (started March 21, 2019) and future plans to increase production in an interview with Trend.
"Iran has produced 1.2 million tons of fishery products during the last Iranian year. The production was 300,000 tons more than predicted in the Sixth Development Plan despite flood damages that occurred in the early months of last year," the head of the organization said.
"The expected consumption per capita of fishery products was 13 kilos last Iranian year, but it reached 13,300 kilos," Khon Mirzaei added. "Currently, the country is producing 180,000 tons of trout per year and ranks first in the world in fish farming at fresh and salty waters."
"The self-sufficiency in the production of eyed egg has increased from 25 percent to 33 percent and expected to grow in the current Iranian year. Part of trout production includes fish farming in cages, and the volume could increase," he said. "The purchase guarantee of fishery products is being implemented by the Central Organization Rural Cooperatives of Iran to increase the production capacity, consumption per capita, and financial turnover in the fisheries sector."
"There is no limit in providing bank advances to fish farming in the sea, although previously the low interest rate caused limitation in sources of loans; hopefully, this year advances would be sufficient," he said. "Iran Fisheries Organizations aims to provide foreign currency for importing fish farming technology, fish farming is successful enough to obtain official foreign currency."
"The organization plans to increase production to 290,000 tons that requires $2.8 billion credit; this will create 24,000 new jobs across the country," Khon Mirzaei said.
"The delay in foreign currency assignment for import during last Iranian year alongside concerns over export limitation has delayed the shrimp harvest, so the storage operations in the current Iranian year are behind schedule, but we hope to manage the situation," the official added.
"It is expected that the shrimp production will grow to 52,000 tons this Iranian year," he said.