BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. Iran is planning to increase its shrimp exports from Golestan Province, located in the north-east of the country, to more than $100 million by March 20, 2025, Director General of Iran's Fisheries Organization's department for Golestan Province Esmaeil Jabbari said, Trend reports.
Jabbari said that Golestan Province exported $15 million worth of shrimp in the last Iranian year (March 21, 2022 through March 20, 2023) and expects to export at least $20 million worth of shrimp in the current year (March 21, 2023 through March 19, 2024). The main markets for Golestan’s shrimps are China, Russia, and the UAE, he added.
He added that Golestan Province is expanding its shrimp farming area to 10,000 hectares in Gomishan County by March 20, 2025, and aims to produce more than 17,000 tons of shrimp by then.
The director general also said that 4,000 hectares of cages have been built so far, employing 3,000 people, and another 6,000 hectares of cages are under construction.
Jabbari noted that shrimp harvesting from cages with an area of about 1,600 hectares started on September 1, 2023, and 2,200 tons of shrimp have been caught so far. He said that shrimp fishing will continue until October 22, 2023, and a total of 3,700 tons of shrimp are expected to be caught.
Iran produces more than 60,000 tons of shrimp per year, of which about 60 percent is exported and 40 percent is consumed domestically. The main provinces for shrimp production and fishing are Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan, Bushehr, and Golestan. Iran’s goal is to increase shrimp production to 160,000 tons by 2028.
Iran also plans to increase its annual fishery production to more than 1.4 million tons by 2028.
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