Iran's Deputy Minister of Livestock Affairs emphasizes the importance of the livestock industry for food security and economic growth

Mohammad Ebrahim Hassan-Nejad said, “Providing a significant portion of the protein required for the community, creating value-added and employment in rural, nomadic, and urban communities, attracting private sector investment, and ensuring food security are important and strategic aspects of the country's livestock industry. Quantitative and qualitative growth in all of the mentioned areas requires the realization of development plans, and in this regard, more attention should be paid to the livestock sector."

He also added: "According to official statistics in 1402, the production of red meat in this period was 903 thousand tons, milk 12 million and 230 thousand tons, chicken meat 2 million and 737 thousand tons, and eggs 1 million 262 thousand tons. Meanwhile, the country's honey production was 120 thousand tons, and raw silk cocoon production was 1,700 tons, with the forecast of increased production in 1403."

The monetary value of this production last year was 7245 trillion rials, equivalent to 724 billion tomans.

The Deputy Minister of Livestock Affairs added: "The capacity of the broiler and egg-laying poultry industry in various stages last year was 1.1 million parent hens, 43.7 million pullets, and approximately 116.8 million laying hens. Also, last year, the capacity of broiler grandparent stock was 1.09 million, broiler parent stock (breeders) was 30 million, and broilers were approximately 442 million."

Beekeeping Sector

One of the most important actions taken in this sector in recent years has been planning to move beekeeping activities away from single-product production. In this regard, increasing the skills of producers in the commercial production of royal jelly, propolis, pollen, and bee venom, all of which have higher added value than honey, has been a focus.

In this regard, last year, 10.5 kilograms of bee venom, 9142 kilograms of royal jelly, 885 tons of pollen, and 183 tons of propolis were produced in beekeeping units across the country.

Currently, about 118 thousand tons of raw silk cocoons are produced in the country, which according to experts, can be increased considering the country's geopolitical capabilities.