TEHRAN – Iran has become self-sufficient in chicken meat production and has entered the export phase, Agriculture Minister Gholamreza Nouri said, highlighting growth in the country’s agricultural and livestock sectors.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Nouri said chicken meat production grew by 19% in the first year of the current administration and by another 5% in the Iranian calendar year 1404 (March 2025-March 2026).
“We no longer need to import chicken meat and have entered the export phase in chicken meat,” he said.
The minister added that egg production increased by 8% in the first year of the administration and by 8.5% in its second year.
Nouri noted that raw milk production grew by 3.6% in the second year, while red meat production increased by 2.5%. He added that imports have also been declining.
Addressing claims that low per capita consumption has resulted in an abundance of agricultural products, the minister said domestic production has not declined and exports have not experienced a sharp increase.
He also pointed to growth across several other agricultural sectors, saying shrimp farming increased by 37%, horticultural production by 9%, and production of some tropical crops by about 13% in the second year of the administration, compared with 57% in its first year.
Hybrid seed production grew by 36%, while greenhouse production and greenhouse acreage increased by 18% and 16%, respectively, he said, noting that the production of seedlings also rose by 62%.
Regarding wheat production, Nouri said the country experienced a decline in the previous crop year, but agricultural production has performed better this year.
He cited wheat procurement as an example, saying that during one drought, the country procured 4.5 million tons of wheat, while 7.7 million tons were procured in the previous crop year despite a severe drought.