Gholamreza Nouri said on Sunday that Iran’s agricultural imports reached around $8 billion in the calendar year, down from $19 billion the previous year.
“Last year, we reduced the currency required to import basic goods last year without creating any debt,” Nouri said.
The minister said Iran had reached full self-sufficiency in the production of agricultural products such as sugar and red meat in past calendar years.
He added that Iran’s agricultural sector expanded by 3.2% per year in late March, and that the share of Iran’s gross domestic product also rose by 1% to 7%.
Nouri said Iran’s agricultural exports also rose 33% per year in March, adding that the agricultural trade deficit shrunk from $11 billion to $8 billion over the same time.
He said that while Iran’s agricultural productivity rose by 4.5%, the mechanization rate in the sector increased by 0.7% until late March.
Iran’s government figures show that the country has more than 130 million tonnes of agricultural production.
Figures released by Iran’s customs in April showed that the country exported approximately $5.2 billion worth of agricultural products, including $1.5 billion worth of pistachios, over a year of 29% increase from the previous year.
MNA