Kerman: Iran’s Biggest Date Producing Province
EghtesadOnline: Kerman in southeast Iran is the country’s biggest date producing province with an output of around 354,000 tons a year, the chairman of the National Association of Iranian Dates said.
“Following Kerman are the provinces of Khuzestan, Hormozgan, Bushehr and Fars, which annually produce 190,000 tons, 182,000 tons, 175,000 tons and 124,000 tons of different kinds of dates respectively,” Mohsen Rashid Farrokhi was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
The official added that due to mismanagement, water shortage, water and soil salinity as well as the rise in water and soil nitrate levels, Iran is estimated to lose more than 8% of its palm groves over the next 10 years.
According to Farrokhi, Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia are the world’s biggest producers of date with around 1.4 million tons, 1.2 million tons and 1.1 million tons per year respectively, Financial Tribune reported.
“Yet, Iran is the biggest exporter of the crop,” Farrokhi told Financial Tribune in an earlier interview, adding that Egypt ranks second with Saudi Arabia and Tunisia sharing the third spot.
More than 253,000 tons of different kinds of dates worth close to $250.5 million were exported to 86 countries during the last Iranian year (March 2017-18), according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
Wildfire inflicted more than $202,000 in damages to palm groves in the city of Abpakhsh in the southern province of Bushehr’s Dashtestan County on Saturday.
According to Director General of the Crisis Management Bureau of Bushehr Governorate Qasem Qaedi, 950 palm trees suffered 40-80% damages in the fire, IRNA reported.