Iran's date industry continues to flourish, with the country exporting high-quality dates to a remarkable 82 countries in the past year (ending March 19, 2024), according to Rouhollah Latifi, spokesman for the trade promotion arm of Iran's House of Industry, Mine and Trade.

 

This achievement marks a significant increase, with exports exceeding 389,000 tons and reaching a value of over $345 million – a 4% and 6.7% growth in volume and value compared to the previous year, respectively, Latifi added. 

India emerged as the top importer of Iranian dates, purchasing over 90,000 tons worth more than $84 million. Pakistan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, China, Iraq, and Russia followed closely behind. Mazafati dates were the most popular variety chosen by these countries.

Latifi further highlighted the expanding global reach of Iranian dates, with Austria, Jordan, Argentina, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Spain, Australia, South Africa, Albania, Germany, the UAE, and Indonesia joining the list of import destinations.  

This comes on the heels of an earlier statement by Mohsen Rashid, chairman of the Iranian National Date Association, who confirmed Iran's position as the world's third-largest producer of fresh dates.