Tehran -  The head of Iran’s Veterinary Organization (IVO) underlined the urgent need to expand upstream and core industries in the veterinary and agricultural sectors.

 

Alireza Rafieepour said that boosting the production of veterinary medicines, sanitary products, and livestock-related industries could generate substantial added value for the economy while creating new jobs across the country.

 

Effective management of the nation’s livestock population, including small and large animals as well as honeybees, is vital, describing it as one of Iran’s key economic and strategic assets, he stressed.

 

Each year, Iran imports more than 12 million tons of livestock feed, while domestic production exceeds 18 million tons of meat, poultry, milk, eggs, and aquaculture. Rafieepour said ensuring the health and quality of these products is a core responsibility of the Veterinary Organization.

 

Highlighting the country’s geographical position and active border transit corridors, the deputy minister called for stricter regulation of legal trade routes and feed storage facilities.

 

Such measures, he explained, would curb the illegal outflow of livestock and feed to neighboring countries and, in turn, strengthen the national economy.

 

“Expanding upstream industries in veterinary and agriculture will not only support rural development but also enhance national food security,” Rafieepour said.