BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 24. Iran could become a banana exporter instead of an importer if it doubles the area of its banana plantations in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, located in the south-east of the country, said Ardashir Shahraki, deputy head of the provincial agriculture department, Trend reports.
The official stated that the current area of banana plantations in Sistan and Baluchestan Province is around 7,140 hectares. By expanding it to 15,000 hectares, Iran could meet its domestic demand for bananas and also export them to other markets.
Shahraki also mentioned that there were recent talks about establishing 5,000 hectares of new banana plantations in the province, which attracted the interest of large economic groups in the country.
He added that out of the existing banana plantations in the province, only 3,000 hectares are productive. Since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2023, through March 19, 2024), more than 203,000 tons of bananas have been harvested from the provincial plantations.
Meanwhile, Iran consumes about 600,000 tons of bananas annually, and most of it is imported from other countries.
The Sistan and Baluchestan Province is also home to various other tropical and subtropical fruits, such as mangoes, papayas, guavas, oranges, olives, citrus fruits, etc.
Due to the favorable climate, some areas of the province, such as Nikshahr, Sarbaz, Iranshahr, Konarak, and Chabahar counties, can produce crops twice a year.
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