Exports of agricultural products surpass $4bn , Iran

The exports value of Iran's agricultural products has exceeded $4bln in the last Iranian year (ended March 20) showing a 14 percent rise compared with the month before, a senior trade official announced on Monday. "Some 3.2 million tons of agricultural products, worth $4.2 billion, were exported last year," Deputy Head of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Kioumars Fathollah Kermanshahi said today. He noted that the figure showed 14 percent rise in terms of value and 24 percent in terms of weight as compared to the previous year. Iran's four season, variety of horticultural crops, access to markets through land and sea have provided the country with vast opportunities in the agricultural sector. Last week, Iranian Economy Minister Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini said that Iran's non-oil exports witnessed an eye-catching growth in the last Iranian year (ended March 20) despite the sanctions and restrictions imposed by the West on Tehran. "The value of the country's non-oil goods exported last year hit $41.3 billion," the Iranian economy minister said, addressing a conference on monetary policy of global economy on Saturday. He noted that the figure shows an increase as compared with last year due to growth in tourism sector and exports of agricultural and mineral products. "The non-oil export deficit reduced to $12.3 billion last year from the previous figure of $18 billion," Hosseini said.