Page 75 - IRANRptJun22

9.2.4 Agricultural corporate news
Iranian dairy giant Kalleh expected to open in Russia’s Astrakhan
Iran’s biggest dairy producer Kalleh has announced plans to build a dairy processing plant in the Astrakhan region of Russia, Tehran Bazaar News reported on March 1.
Kalleh owns swathes of commercial dairy farms across Iran and produces a wide array of dairy products, including ice cream.
The announcement reportedly came via Minister of Foreign Relations of the Astrakhan Region, Vladimir Golokov and Iranian Consul to the Astrakhan region, Mehdi Akuchekian, Russia DairyNews website reported.
It’s unknown whether the plan to invest in the region would be based on local sales or re-exports back to Iran, where an ongoing water crisis is often blamed, in part, on dairy, rice and other types of farming.
9.2.5 TMT corporate news
iPhones now entirely banned in Iran say local reports
Iran starts roll out of 5G mobile
Apple’s iPhones have been entirely banned in Iran, according to local media reports.
Following the reimposition of heavy sanctions on Tehran by the US under former American president Donald Trump, Apple banned the sale of its products in Iran and said none of its official agents would be involved with the country. However, the iPhone remained one of the most popular phones among Iranians, with importers bringing the smartphone in from neighbouring countries using unofficial channels.
The ban reportedly involves blocking these importers from registering new orders for Apple phones on an online system run by the Iranian Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade (MIMT). When trying to register their orders, a message appears on the system reading: “The Apple mobile phone brand has been included in the Goods Category No. 27 since 22 May and registering orders will not be possible.”
Middle East Eye said Iranian importers were unsure why the ban has come in now.
The country has been under a hardline government since the elections of last summer.
Alireza, an Iranian businessman who imports mobile phones, told the publication: "It is not clear what is happening behind the scenes and why they imposed this ban or restriction, but whatever the case, its effect can be seen in the market immediately."
Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, former information and communications technology minister, reminded people on his Telegram channel that previous efforts to ban iPhones had mixed success.
"The last time they decided to ban the import of iPhones, I asked the head of the Radio Regulatory Authority to prepare a quarterly report on the imports of mobile phones. The report clearly showed that a group of people had imported a large number of iPhones in an unauthorised way," he said.
Mohammad Reza Alian, spokesman for the Mobile Phones Importers Association, told Entekhab website on that the announcement was more of a restriction rather than a ban: “We were not officially notified of the imports ban, and in talks with government officials it became clear that the restriction was due to technical problem with the order registration system that would be resolved soon,” he was cited as saying.
Iran’s two largest mobile network operators, MTN-Irancell and Mobile Communications of Iran (MCI), have started a rollout of a fifth generation
75 IRAN Country Report June 2022 www.intellinews.com