BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 28
By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:
Iran's olive production will increase by 20 percent this year, executor of the olive production plan of the Iranian Agriculture Ministry Rahmatullah Perichehr said.
Some 102,000 tons of olives were produced last harvesting season, Perichehr added, Trend reports referring to IRNA.
The executor of the plan added that 120,000 tons of olives are expected to be harvested this year.
"Some 8,000-9,000 tons of olive oil will be produced this year," Perichehr said.
“Iran needs 11,000 tons of olive oil a year,” the executor of the plan said, adding that presently, more than 70 percent of olive oil is ensured through the domestic production.
Perichehr noted that about 30 percent of olive oil is imported from Spain, Turkey and Syria.
The executor of the plan said that 7,140 tons of olive oil were produced in the country last year and about 3,700 tons were imported from other countries.
“The price of olive oil increased due to the additional costs, including the increased transportation costs,” Perichehr added. “Moreover, the price of the imported olive oil is expensive due to devaluation.”
“A kilogram of olives is being purchased in Iran at 70,000-80,000 rials (about $1.66-1.90),” the executor of the plan said.
As a result of devaluation in Iran last summer, the exchange rate of $1 increased from 35,000 rials up to over 200,000 rials in the black market. Later, the exchange rate of $1 dropped as a result of the intervention of the Iranian Central Bank. In the black market, $1 is worth about 112,000-115,000 rials.