The figures indicate a 22.94% and 9.67% rise in tonnage and value respectively compared with last year’s corresponding period, the Agriculture Ministry’s website reported.
Fresh and dried pistachio topped the list of exports in terms of value, as the country exported $251.62 million worth of it during the five months.
Tomato was the second major agricultural export product in terms of value with $140.02 million, followed by watermelon with $117.99 million, tomato paste with $69.67 million and fresh and dried pistachio kernel with $65.33 million.
In terms of tonnage, watermelons topped the list with 529,380 tons, followed by tomatoes with 301,880 tons, potato with 190,940 tons, apples with 150,470 tons and melons with 116,900 tons.
According to Mehrdad Jamal Oranqi, the deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration for technical affairs, Iraq, Afghanistan, the UAE, Russia, Pakistan, China, Turkey, Germany, Hong Kong and India were the main export destinations for Iran's agrifood products over the period under review.
Agronomical products accounted for 2.05 million tons worth $856.75 million of total exports, up 13.54% in terms of tonnage and down 4.96% in terms of value year-on-year.
Horticultural exports stood at 632,540 tons worth $833,420 million, up 70.34% and 36.46% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Exports of livestock and poultry products stood at 324,130 tons worth $341.06 million, up 23.96% in tonnage and down 2.29% in value YOY.
The veterinary sector exported 249 tons of products worth $2.81 million, up 262% and 214% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
The fisheries sector exported 40,570 tons worth $85.02 million, posting an increase of 2.69% and 20.24% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Exports from the forest and rangeland sector hit 6,940 tons worth $11.22 million, up 8.14% and 16.23% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Imports Down 27.9%
Imports during the five-month period stood at 10.09 million tons worth $4.09 billion, indicating a 0.4% and 27.91% fall in tonnage and value respectively year-on-year.
Feed corn had the biggest share in total imports in terms of value with $1.03 billion, followed by wheat with $561.23 million, semi- and whole-milled rice with $437.07 million, soymeal with $275.71 million and raw sugar with $192.36 million.
In terms of tonnage, feed corn topped imports with 4.29 million tons, followed by wheat with 2.03 million tons, barley with 777,210 tons, soymeal with 611,010 tons and raw sugar with 542,930 tons.
Agronomical products accounted for 9.63 million tons worth $3.39 billion of total imports, up 2.11% in tonnage and down 20.52% in value YOY.
Horticultural products stood at 387,860 tons worth $432.84 million, down 26.45% and 28.35% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Imports of livestock and poultry products hit 44,540 tons worth $195.01 million, down 70.5% and 73.02% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
The veterinary sector imported 391 tons worth $30.14 million, down 42.52% and 1.67% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Imports by the fisheries sector amounted to 8,860 tons worth $19.08 million, down 1.4% and 27.52% in tonnage and value respectively YOY.
Imports from the forest and rangeland sector totaled 14 tons worth $19.71 million, up 107% in tonnage and down 5.75% in value YOY.
The export and import volumes suggest that Iran recorded an agrifood trade deficit of 7.03 million tons in tonnage and $1.96 billion in value during the five months.
“Iran’s agricultural output is expected to reach 128 million tons by the end of the current fiscal year [March 2021],” says Shahrokh Shajari, director general of Agriculture Ministry's Export Promotion Bureau.
Out of nearly 18 million hectares of Iran's farmlands, 12 million hectares are rain-fed.