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Iran looking to buy Ukrainian grains including soybean meal
Iran bans chicken exports after reports of shortages
Iran imports approximately 80% of feedstuff for poultry feed production. Poultry World concluded: “At this moment in time, the total production of day-old chicks is about 110 million per month, while before the Covid-19 pandemic, this was 120 million. In May of 2020, the acute shortage of poultry feed on the domestic market prompted hatcheries to bury day-old chicks alive because no one was buying.
“According to the Iran Feed Industry Association, the Covid-19 pandemic was not to blame. The US sanctions have blocked payments for 3 million tonnes of imported corn and soybean, leaving the domestic market short of feedstuff. Iran’s poultry farmers called the government to take urgent steps to protect the domestic poultry industry. According to Asad-Nejad, the current crisis could have a severe and long term impact on Iran’s poultry industry.”
Iran is interested in purchasing grains including corn, barley and soybean meal from Ukraine, APK Inform has reported.
The Association of Livestock Breeders of Ukraine backed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture reportedly said Iran has reached out to secure deals.
Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture was cited as also saying that it was interested in purchasing Ukrainian red meats, poultry and chicken eggs.
“Ukrainian manufacturers interested in supplying the above products should contact the Iranian Embassy in Ukraine with an appropriate request,” it said. Weighing up a potential barter deal, Iran has said it is interested in supplying Ukraine with fertilisers including urea.
Iran’s interactions with former Soviet countries for consumer staples​ ​have hugely grown in recent years​ ​with US sanctions disrupting traditional trade channels with Europe and South America.
Russia and Kazakhstan have supplied Iran with grains in recent months.
Iran’s Agriculture Ministry, along with the country’s Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry, have banned chicken exports citing shortages on the domestic market, Poultry World has reported.
Earlier this year, due to an overproduction of chicken, Iran temporarily reduced duty on chicken exports. That caused most of the country’s poultry production to flow out of Iran, increasing domestic prices.
Iranian poultry farmers, according to the trade media outlet, have the potential to boost exports to 500,000 mt of meat per year, but factors such as US sanctions and a feed shortage remain the biggest obstacles.
Iran is self-sufficient in both poultry and eggs. The Tehran Times says it has the highest production effectiveness in West Asia. The top three export destinations for Iranian poultry exports in the first three months of the year were reportedly Afghanistan (4,116 mt), Iraq (2,523 mt) and Venezuela (246 mt).
9.1.9​ Retail sector news
Iran’s clothing sales fall “to almost zero” amid retailers’ virus woes
The head of Iran’s Association of Clothing Manufacturers has said clothing sales in the country have fallen “to almost zero” amid coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, according to ILNA.
Tehan’s Grand Bazaar, stores across Iran and production workshops in the country have since the spring been forced to close for extended periods, decimating the domestic clothing manufacturing and retailing sectors, Abolghasem Agahhossein Shirazi was quoted as saying. Iran’s clothing industry remains traditionally based on in-store shopping unlike in the West
48​ IRAN Country Report December 2020 www.intellinews.com