This year has seen a surge of interest in Iran's fresh produce, amid worldwide production shortages. However, this interest only concerns a few products, and Iranian exporters can offer more, according to Iranian exporter Amirhossein Azizi.
Azizi says: "This year, we've seen strong demand for certain fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, garlic, eggplant, cauliflower, lettuce, and peppers. Demand is also strong for watermelons, although we have chosen not to produce them due to their high water consumption. We are currently exporting garlic and other greenhouse products in large quantities."
"Demand comes mainly from countries in Central Asia and the Arab countries, such as Omar, Qatar and UAE, and intermittently from Europe", adds Mr. Azizi. " At present, in the context of global shortages of several products, we are receiving more and more requests from European markets."
"Buyers have turned to Iran for products for which we are known, such as tomatoes and other vegetables. But the world is not yet familiar with the quality and taste of other products, such as citrus fruit. I'm sure that when Iranian citrus fruits are discovered in Europe, we'll gain a loyal customer base, and Iranian exports will fill the market gap that's driving up prices," argues the exporter.
"Iran has every chance to become a new competitor for citrus in Europe, alongside Spain and Egypt, but it won't happen overnight", concedes Mr. Azizi, "it's certainly a long process we've already started to work on with patience and a lot of effort. The main drawback is the cost of transport. But as the volume of trade between Iran and Europe increases, shipping companies will follow with more lines and more competitive prices."
"In the long term, it's in everyone's interest, whether Iranian exporters or buyers from around the world, to discover Iran's fresh produce. We can be the next great origin of many fruits and vegetables", concludes the exporter.
