Tabriz – The Iranian Minister of Agriculture said the 14th government is determined to turn policy discourse into action in the field of trade, adding that the country’s exports in the past Iranian calendar year rose by 32 percent.

 

Addressing the 29th National Non-Oil Export Conference in Tabriz on Friday, Gholamreza Nouri analyzed the concept of “virtual water,” showing that agricultural trade is beneficial for the country: Iran’s $16 billion in imports are accompanied by the loss of about 32 billion cubic meters of water, while $8 billion in exports lead to a maximum of 11 billion cubic meters of water leaving the country.

 

He also announced that agricultural exports grew 32% last year, and are expected to grow 12–13% this year.

 

The Minister highlighted a strong focus on “economic diplomacy,” particularly with neighboring countries, saying that planning is underway to turn Iran into a regional food-supply hub and to make use of the country’s location along East–West and North–South corridors. "New agreements have also been signed to conduct transactions using the national currencies of neighboring countries."