Baku, Azerbaijan, August 19
Trend
An official with Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) said the export of sweets, chocolates and cereal products witnessed a significant growth in the first four months of the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 21).
Iran exported 166,000 tons of sweets, chocolates and cereal products worth $228 million during the 4 months to July 22, registering a 29.3 percent and 17.3 increase in value and weight compared to the year before, Gholamreza Sabzali said, the official website of TPO reported.
He added that Iraq imported sweets and chocolates worth $131.7 million during the period, becoming a major destination for Iranian products.
Afghanistan became the second major importer of Iranian sweets over the four months.
According to Iran’s Biscuit, Confectionery and Chocolate Industries Association, sweets and chocolates account for 30-40 percent of Iran’s total food exports.
Based on figures released by the association, per capita biscuit, chocolate and sweets consumption in Iran amounts to 2 kilograms per year. The average figure for European countries stands at around 10 kilograms.
Close to 50 percent of Iran’s biscuits and chocolates are produced in the city of Tabriz located in East Azerbaijan Province in northwest Iran.
There are over 850 production units in Tabriz, exporting to more than 50 countries worldwide.