Page 62 - IRANRptJun22

Persian year
Pistachio was Iran’s best-selling agrifood product on overseas markets with an export value of nearly $739mn, exports of dates brought in $185mn and fresh apples $169mn, Ghorbani added.
With US sanctions curtailing Iran’s crude oil exports, industries such as agriculture have benefitted from increased state support, with officials conscious of the need to make up for oil revenue losses by generating growth in other sectors.
Across the first three quarters of the Persian year, Iranian farmers exported 795,000 tonnes of watermelons, 617,000 tonnes of fresh or chilled tomatoes, 528,000 tonnes of fresh or chilled potatoes and 284,000 tonnes of onions, shallots and garlic, data from the agriculture ministry also showed.
Figures on livestock and poultry exports recorded shipments of 443,000 tonnes valued at $406mn and exports of fish products weighing 88,000 tonnes with a worth of $159mn.
Separately, the Tehran Times reported the agriculture ministry as saying on January 26 that Iran’s farmed shrimp exports stood at $150mn in value in the Persian year to date.
Iran’s total agricultural output reached 133mn tonnes in the Persian calendar year that ended in late March 2021. Eight years ago, when the country launched a campaign to boost activity in the agriculture sector, the annual volume was only around 90mn tonnes, official data showed.
9.1.9 Electrical appliances sector news
Production of Iranian household appliances up 7.5% in last Persian calendar year
Iranian producers ‘eager to take Russia market shares vacated by US, European brands in war exit’
Iran's production of household appliances moved up by 7.56% in the last Persian calendar year (ended March 20), according to Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) data.
Over the past few years, the Iranian government has pursued a strategy of building up support for domestic production in various non-oil sectors to offset effects of US sanctions while at the same time cutting the economy's dependence on oil revenues.
Another important factor that has boosted Iranian manufacturers of home appliances is the ban Tehran has applied to imports of white goods from South Korea, largely items produced by giants Samsung and LG. The ban was brought in as a response to Seoul’s support for the swingeing US sanctions that are undermining the Iranian economy. Grey and black-market imports of banned home appliance products continue, however. The smuggled imports flow into Iran from Iraq and other neighbouring countries.
The data showed 6,273,600 large household appliances were produced in the 12 months, including televisions, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, air conditioner units. Among the mentioned products, a decline in output was only posted for air conditioners.
Iranian manufacturers are eager to expand their fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and other brands in Russia following the exit of European and US brands in response to the military conflict in Ukraine, according to Oleg Voitsekhovsky, managing director of the Russian Council of Shopping Centres (RSTC).
Prior to the Ukraine invasion, brands from Iran over the course of several months made significant impact in Russian regions including Astrakhan, but the prospect of empty outlets in shopping malls, brought about by the departure of European and American brands from Russia, has given new impetus to the plans of Iranian producers to build Russian market share.
62 IRAN Country Report June 2022 www.intellinews.com