BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. Iran exported 194,000 tons of dates valued at $175 million during the first eight months of the current Iranian year (from March 20 through November 20, 2024), the country's Ministry of Agriculture Spokesperson, Mohammad Mehdi Borumandi said, Trend reports.
According to him, various types of dates cultivated in Iran are exported to over 80 countries. However, in the previous Iranian year (from March 21, 2023 through March 19, 2024), Iran exported 390,000 tons of dates worth $346 million.
Borumandi further highlighted that Sistan and Baluchestan province is one of the key regions for date exports in Iran. Over 320,000 tons of dates are grown in this province across 51,000 hectares, with a significant portion earmarked for export.
The ministry official also noted the ongoing efforts to combat pests in date orchards through a dedicated project. Currently, this initiative is being implemented across seven provinces, including some of Iran's main date-producing areas. The success of this project has led to improved date quality and increased value, which is expected to positively influence the growth of date exports.
Iran ranks third globally in date production, following Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with an annual harvest averaging 1.3 million tons.