ZAHEDAN, Sistan-Baluchestan Prov. – Some 295 tons of shrimps was exported from Chabahar to mark the start of farm shrimp exports from this southeastern port city of Iran.

The volume was destined for the UAE and Spain. The shrimp harvest season here starts early September and lasts about six weeks. The next consignments will be sent to other Asian and European countries as well as Australia. In the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2006), Chabahar exported 10 million dollars of shrimps.

Indian operator joins Iran’s intl. roaming network

TEHRAN – The mobile phone operator HTEL is the second Indian operator to join Iran’s international roaming network.

Subscribers to HTEL can use the services offered by the Mobile Company of Iran (MCI) as of Tuesday October 3. Since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21), 20 other foreign mobile phone operators, including companies from Bulgaria, Iraq, Tunisia, China, Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Pakistan, England, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Luxembourg, Cyprus, and the Netherlands, have joined Iran’s intl. roaming network.

The list now includes 171 operators from 65 countries.

W. Azarbaijan begins exporting grapes

URMIA, West Azarbaijan Prov. – This northwestern province has just started to export various types of grapes, IRNA reported.

“We will export 15,000 tons of grapes to Russia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and the UAE by the end of the year (March 20, 2007),” head of the provincial Union of Fruits & Vegetable Exporters said on Monday, predicting that the amount would bring the province some 30 million dollars.

Covering an area of about 43,660 square kilometers in the northwest of the country, West Azarbaijan has 81,000 hectares of gardens, being one of the main agricultural centers in the country.

Iran still not a big player in Iraq market: official

ILAM – “We will not gain much in the Iraqi market unless we stop following old marketing and trading tactics,” director of Ilam Chamber of Commerce told ISNA on Monday.

Chamanara noted that the Commerce Ministry is currently studying the reasons for Iran’s insignificant presence in the neighboring country’s market. “Although Iranians have been long doing business in Iraq, the official process of exchange will not increase before establishing the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce,” he added.

Colza farming coverage in Yazd increases 5-fold

YAZD – Colza farming has covered 1,000 hectares of land in this central province this year, showing a 5-fold increase compared to the same period last year. However, the Yazdi farmers are still suffering from the consequences of long droughts, part of Yazd’s typical weather.

In the last Iranian year, some 250 tons of colza was collected from 200 hectares across the province. This year, the number is projected to reach 15,000 tons. The province’s Agricultural Jihad Department has tried to encourage colza farmers by providing them with fertilizers, colza seeds and low-interest loans.

Intl. tender for financing second water-transmission line to Tabriz

TEHRAN - East Azarbaijan Regional Water Company has invited for the tender all international and domestic contractors who can provide financing of 85 percent of total cost of the project for financing second water-transmission line to Tabriz. The tender includes “Supply, Transportation, Installation, Construction and Commissioning” of second water-transmission line to Tabriz Project with the approximate length of 270 km steel pipeline (170 km main pipeline with 1,200 to 2,000 mm diameter and 100 km incidental branches with 300 to 900 mm diameter) and installed valves which located in East Azarbaijan Province with estimated price of 200 million Euro.

Mahab Ghodss Consulting Engineering Co. with the address below representing East Azarbaijan Regional Water Corp. is responsible for tendering process: 17, Takharestan St., Dastgerdy Ave., Post Code: 19187781185, Tehran, Iran Tel: 22221071-8, 22254390.