Iran date exports fetch $400m in 1 year

A total of $400 million worth of dates were exported from
Iran in the previous Iranian year (ended on March 20), according to the deputy
agriculture minister for horticulture affairs.

“With 1.4 million tons of annual
production, Iran is among the top three producers of dates in the world,”
Mohammad-Mehdi Boroumand said.

The value of last year’s exports stood at $400 million, he
added. 

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are Iran’s major rivals in the global
dates market. India has the biggest share of Iran’s dates export, and the next
major destination is Pakistan.

Middle East and Africa are observed as the largest markets
for dates. Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the UAE, Iraq, Oman and Morocco
dominate the MENA region, based on the volume of dates consumption.

Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree, which is grown in
many tropical regions of the world. Dates have a long shelf life and may be
eaten fresh or dried. There are about hundreds of dates varieties in the
market.