Iran ranks 23rd in the world in milk production with an annual output of over 12 million tons, a senior official with the Ministry of Agriculture said.

 

Mohammad Ebrahim Hassan-Nejad, the Iranian deputy minister for livestock products, said, “Previously, our country was a major importer of dairy products, producing only about 260,000 tons of raw milk annually.”

 

"However, thanks to the implementation of various breeding and development programs, Iran today has transformed into an exporter of dairy products, producing over 12 million tons of milk,” he added.

 

Hassan-Nejad further elaborated on the country's milk production figures, highlighting that in 2021, Iran produced 11.49 million tons of raw milk, followed by 11.648 million tons in 2022 and over 12 million tons in 2023.

 

He noted that the export of dairy products in 2023 witnessed a 14% increase in weight compared to the same period in the previous year, reaching 496,000 tons.

 

The deputy minister emphasized the significance of the raw milk production industry, both in terms of production volume and employment, saying, "In total, around 120,000 people are directly employed in this sector, while 480,000 are indirectly involved.”