BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 8. Iran's shrimp exports increased by 20 percent in value and 21.6 percent in volume in the first half of the current Iranian year (March 21 through September 22, 2023), compared to the same period last year, Chairman of Iran's Aquatic Production and Trade Union Ali Akbar Khodaei said, Trend reports.
According to Khodaei, Iran exported a total of 13,500 tons of shrimp worth $60 million in 6 months.
In the same period previous year, this figure stood at 11,100 tons worth approximately $50 million, he added.
The chairman also stated that the UAE and China were the main destinations for Iran’s shrimp, with 4,660 tons and 1,850 tons respectively.
However, Khodaei also warned that the shrimp production in the country is expected to drop by 30 percent this year, reaching 40,000 tons. He blamed the bacterial infection (AHPND) that affected some of the shrimp farms in the country.
Khodaei noted that Iran has shrimp farms covering 16,000-17,000 hectares of land, and plans to expand them by 4,000-5,000 hectares next Iranian year (March 20, 2024 through March 20, 2025).
On average, Iran produces 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 farming and fishing are Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan, Bushehr, and Golestan.
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