Iran announces tomato export ban

He added that “for the first time, export of quality tomato kicked off from this sub-province to Qatar.”

Given the above issue, tomato was exporting to the neighboring countries of Iraq and Afghanistan via land but this year, this agricultural product exported to neighboring Qatar via sea.

To create balance in supply and demand market of this product and support tomato farmers, suitable ways have been provided in the country for exporting this kitchen garden product to overseas including Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar.

He put the under-cultivation tomato land area in the current Farming Year in this city at 5,300 ha and it is predicted that 240,000 tons of quality tomato will be produced in this province.

About 50 percent of tomato has been picked in this province since harvesting season, he said, adding, “of total tomato harvested, 10,000 tons has been exported to other countries while the rest has been used in the domestic markets.”

With regard to the rate of tomato purchased by tomato paste manufacturing companies, he reiterated, “tomato paste production units in the country buy 10 tons of quality tomato from farmers of this province daily.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Mohammad-Doost added, “Dayyer sub-province is the main hub of tomato raising out of season in a way that 10,000 farmers are busy working in this city seasonally and permanently.

Every year, out-of-season tomato is cultivated in Iranian months of Mordad and Shahrivar in this province and is harvested in Iranian months of Azar and Dey, he concluded.