Page 55 - IRANRptNov21

Drought-hit Iran, Turkey ‘first and second largest buyers of Russian grain in July-Sept’
Iran’s red meat production jumps 43% in first five months of Persian year
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, told the trade news site: “The growth in the supply of fruits and nuts from Iran to Russia is one of the reasons for the difficulties fruit suppliers from Moldova and Uzbekistan began to experience in the Russian market last year. Iran can offer a wide range of fruits and supplies them almost all year round, which distinguishes this country from its competitors.
"Also, Iranian suppliers are active in promoting their fruits, while exporters from Moldova, for example, rarely resort to advertising their products. In particular, in the largest fruit and vegetable trading group EF Trade Platform in Telegram, Iran is often among the five most active countries, and Moldova is usually not even in the top 10.”
Breaking down the fruit exports, in the first nine months of this year, Iran expanded its shipments of apples to Russia 2.5 times to 125,000 tonnes; 37,000 tonnes of kiwis were also shipped from Iran to Russia; as well as 27,400 tonnes of watermelons, 26,600 tonnes of peaches and nectarines, 12,200 tonnes of raisins, 7,400 tonnes of dates, 7,300 tonnes of cherries, 7,100 tonnes of pistachio, 6,800 tonnes of sour cherries, 4,100 tonnes of table grapes and 3,400 tonnes of plums. Some shipped volumes may have been missed by the data assessment as Iran also ships fruit to Russia via third countries.
Iran—which has seen its wheat import requirement leap from 1mn to 8mn tonnes because of the impact of severe drought on its domestic crop—became the top importer of grain from Russia in the first three months of the current agricultural year (July 1 – September 30), analytical company Prozerno said on October 19.
Prozerno said: "For the first three months of the new season 2021-2022, exports to Iran from Russia amounted to 3,697mn tonnes of grain, including 3,091mn tonnes of wheat, 392,600 tonnes of barley and 215,300 tonnes of corn.
“This placed Iran in first place not only among importers of Russian wheat and corn but also in the overall standings for all grain types."
Previously on July 16, street protests broke out in Iran’s southwest over severe water shortages, according to Iranian news outlets. Amid climate change, the country is facing its worst drought in 50 years during the 2021 growing season. The unrest in the oil-rich region comes as it emerged that a severe drought in Central Asia has caused mass livestock die-offs and shortages of water for irrigation.The International Grains Council is forecasting a global wheat deficit in the current 2021/22 season (July/June) that will mean the world consuming more wheat than it produces.
Another drought-hit country, Turkey, was the second-largest purchaser of Russian grain in the reported period, buying 3.5mn tonnes including 2.87mn tonnes of wheat, 569,200 tonnes of barley and 73,100 tonnes of corn.
Iranian red meat production grew 43% y/y to 52,800 tonnes in the fifth month of the current Persian year (July 23-August 22), according to the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI).
Iran is a big red meat-eating country with a love for kebabs. However, in recent years it has had to increase its meat and live animal imports from countries across its region, including Kazakhstan and Russia. Other big suppliers include Brazil. which exports frozen beef to ports on Iran's southern Persian Gulf coast.
The SCI noted that beef and veal took the largest share of production, at 28,232 tonnes, followed by lamb and mutton at 20,189 tonnes, goat meat at 3,440 tonnes and red meat from other livestock at 939 tonnes.
55 IRAN Country Report November 2021 www.intellinews.com