Baku, Azerbaijan, April 1
By Gazenfer Hamidov – Trend:
Some 265,979 tons of agricultural products worth over $239.225 million were exported from customs of Iran's north western city of Astara in the last fiscal year(ended March), an Iranian official said.
Iran’s agricultural products' export through Astara checkpoint increased by 10 percent in terms of volume year-on-year, Iraj Shiarkar, an official with the agriculture ministry said, the Iranian official IRNA News Agency reported.
However, the value of the exported agricultural products was same as the preceding year, he added.
Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia and Ukraine as well as Central Asian countries were the main destinations for the exported products, Shiarkar said.
Some 218,834 tons of agricultural products were also imported to the country via Astara in the aforementioned period, 30 percent more year-on-year, he added.
During this period the transit of agricultural products via Astara customs stood at 55,731 tons, 42 percent more compared to the preceding year.
Shiarkar said that 15 kinds of various agricultural products including wheat flour, onions, lentils, barley, pomegranate, tomatoes, hazelnuts and peas were transited to Persian Gulf states through Astara.
He said that 36 kinds of agricultural products including kiwi fruit, potato, onion, melon, dates, pepper, carrot, raisins, cabbage, apple, cucumber, vegetables, grapes, watermelon, cherry, lemon, tea and pistachio were exported through the custom, meanwhile 24 kinds of various agricultural products including banana, millet, sunflower seed kernel, safflower, flaxseed, peas, sugar beet pulp and bran as well as MDF boards and woods were imported during the 12-month period.