Zanjan - Iran has achieved self-sufficiency in white meat production, with the groundwork now laid for the start of exports in the coming months, according to Minister of Agriculture Gholamreza Nouri.

 

The minister noted that until a few years ago, part of the country’s demand for day-old chicks and hatching eggs was met through imports. “Today, reliance on foreign supply has been reduced even in these segments, and with the current production trend, exports are expected to begin in the near future,” he said.

 

Nouri described the sharp improvement in the feed conversion ratio (FCR) as one of the most notable achievements of Iran’s poultry industry.

 

“In our integrated production units, the FCR has fallen to around 1.4, which reflects significant gains in productivity and the high level of technical expertise among domestic producers,” he stated.

 

Nouri added that in the past, the supply of livestock and poultry inputs depended heavily on limited oil-based foreign currency resources. “With the move toward a single exchange rate, substantial improvements have been made in the procurement of inputs. At present, more than 700,000 tons of inputs are registered daily through the integrated supply platform, and this figure continues to increase,” the minister said.

 

Emphasizing the government’s new policy focus on efficiency and competitiveness, Nouri stressed that future production must be scientific, economically viable, and productivity-driven. “In an environment of export and import liberalization, only efficient producers with high-quality output will be able to remain competitive. These are the producers we will support in a targeted manner,” he said.

 

He further noted that with the lifting of restrictions, all actors across the production chain, from oilseed and grain farmers to poultry producers and integrated agribusiness companies, will have greater opportunities to engage in both production and export activities.

 

Referring to Iran’s unique climatic and geopolitical advantages, Nouri said the country is well positioned not only to meet domestic demand but also to emerge as a leading regional exporter of agricultural and livestock products. “The new foreign exchange policy has smoothed the path for sustainable economic growth among producers,” he concluded.