TEHRAN – Some 36 million dollars of shoes was exported from Iran in the first six months of the current Iranian year (March 21-September 22, 2006), showing 58% increase compared to the corresponding period last year.

Despite the recent growth in exports, in the past few years, the domestic shoemaking industry has been suffering from smuggling of cheap Chinese-made shoes.

Iranian shoemakers, like many others in Europe, USA, and other Asian countries, complain that low production costs in China, which is notorious for exploiting cheap labor, put the price of Chinese shoes much lower than the prices in domestic markets of countries that import shoe ware from this recently emerged economic power.

Iran exports shoes to Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, and Russia.

Sirvan fish farming complex needs $7.27m to be completed

SANANDAJ, Kordestan Prov. - Some 7.27 million dollars is required to complete one of the largest fish farming complexes in the Middle East which is being built near the western city of Sirvan.

The project, which is aimed to boost the country’s cold-water fish production capacity, has so far cost about $2.9 million, and is now 35 percent complete, according to the director of the provincial Agricultural Jihad Department.

The 12.5-ha complex will have an annual trout production capacity of 1500 tons, Hassan-nejad added, noting there is another cold-water fish farming complex in a village near the city of Kamyaran. “That one produces 600 tons of fish every year,” he said.

Sales of more govt. bonds pending Cabinet approval

TEHRAN – An official with the Iranian Privatization Organization (IPO) said that 20 state-owned companies will sell bonds in line with the long delayed implementation of the Article 44 of the Constitution after the plan is approved by the Cabinet.

“The economy minister has already approved a list including names of these companies,” Esmail Gholami added, stating the shares will be offered to the private investors in two phases. According to the Fourth Development Plan (2005-10) Law, every phase of privatization should be first ratified by the cabinet.

Stone export hits $44.57m

TEHRAN – More than 62,450 tons of processed construction stones, valued at over 44.57 million dollars, was exported from Iran in the first half of the current Iranian year, up 5.5% from last year’s figure.

Also in the same period, Iran exported 336,943 tons of unprocessed stones at $30.42 million, which corroborated 22.1% increase in terms of value compared to the corresponding period last year.

Onshore sturgeon farming to start in Golestan

GORGAN, Golestan Prov. – Feasibility studies for a project that includes a sturgeon farming development plan has just begun in this northern Iranian province.

The plan consists of sturgeon farming in rivers and fish ponds across the northern provinces of Golestan, Mazandaran and Gilan. Experts from Iran Fisheries Organization (IFO) and the Iranian Fisheries Research Institute will conduct the studies and report the results to their colleagues in Golestan Fisheries Department.

The IFO has pledged to allocate 1.5 billion rials (nearly 163,000 dollars) for the project.