September 13-2013
Iran’s imports of red meat have jumped 20-fold in the last eight nears, endangering the nation’s plans for autonomy in food production, the National Food Agency said last week.
In 2005, Iran imported red meat to the tune of just $4 million, the agency said, while in the Persian year that ended March 21 such imports had soared to $85 million.
The report said these figures applied to frozen meat, but a “similar situation” applied with regard to chilled meat.
The report said the Ahmadi-nejad Administration had focused on boosting trade with countries that were friendly with Iran and reducing trade with others. That resulted in more imports of lower quality but cheaper red meat from India and Pakistan that undercut local meat production.
The country also imports live animals, but the report said an increasing number were infected with new strains of hoof-and-mouth disease. (Mohsen Meshkat of the National Veterinary Organization swiftly denied that, telling the Fars news agency all imported animals are checked before arrival and only cleared if healthy.)
The publication Global Meat News quoted the National Union of Livestock Farmers as saying the new government has already moved to boost domestic production and lower imports.
In the meantime, the publication said the government is focused on higher quality meat. In particular, the regime is concentrating on a new deal with New Zealand, considered the producer of the best mutton in the world.