BANDAR ANZALI, Gilan Prov. -- Non-oil exports from this northern Iranian port since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2006) totaled 95,897 tons, up 53.9% from the last year’s figure.

In the said period, over 2.68 million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded in the port by 116,778 trucks and 849 oil tankers.

Less than 1% of Iran’s farmlands produce more than 8 tons of crops

TEHRAN -- Only 0.46 percent of the country’s farmlands produce more than eight tons of crops, an official with the agriculture ministry has told ISNA.

“In other words, we can say that we have 37.6% of our farms producing 0-2 tons of agricultural products,” Mohammad Jahansuz stated, adding that 4.25% of farms have an output of about 6-7 tons, 11.79% produce 5-6 tons, 21% yield 4-5 tons, while 24.5% have an output of 2-4 tons.

Iran, Dagestan discuss expansion of ties

TEHRAN -- Iran and Dagestan have reviewed development of bilateral trade ties, IRNA reported on Thursday.

Some possible avenues of cooperation were explored in a meeting between the Iranian envoy to Dagestan’s capital Makhachkala, Reza Ansari, and the Russian Federation republic’s president and prime minister.

The Dagestani President Mukhu Gimbatovich Aliyev pointed out in the meeting that Caspian Sea littoral states should promptly act to find a solution to the sea’s worsening environmental problems, noting that rivers flowing into the Volga River, one of the major rivers that ends in the Caspian Sea, were all polluted as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

The Makhachkala Port director, who was also present at the meeting, put the current volume of Iran-Dagestan trade via this port at 950,000 tons.

Iran receives one third of global rainfall average, loses triple

TEHRAN – Although Iran is located in a semi-arid part of the world – receiving only about one third of the average global rainfall rate - water evaporates three times more than the standard rate.

“So, we are in danger of major water shortages, including droughts, nine times more than the standard global rate,” an agriculture ministry official in charge of water resources management said on Thursday, noting that most of the annual rainfall (75%) in Iran occurs in the non-irrigation season.

“And given the fact that the agricultural sector consumes 90% of the entire groundwater resources,” Abbas Zare stated, these figures show how important it is to exert more serious water management policies in order to prevent food shortages.

Freshwater prawn farming project in Ardebil bears fruit

ARDEBIL -- Freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) have been farmed and harvested successfully in this northern Iranian province for the first time, director of the provincial fisheries department reported.

“Shrimp farmers have produced 300-gram freshwater prawns here,” he added, putting the average weight of the harvested shrimps at 80 grams. Freshwater prawns and crayfish are two of the most popular seafood in the region, so Ardebil Fisheries has started to farm the former four years ago.

Young freshwater prawns have been released into 535 hectares of ponds, mostly dam reservoirs, across the province. “This year’s freshwater prawn production in Ardebil is projected to reach 15 tons,” he added.