TEHRAN- The consumption per capita of lamb in Iran has decreased from 12 kilograms to eight kilograms, the head of Tehran Guild Union for Lamb Supply and Distribution, Ali Asghar Maleki, announced.

The Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) has announced that production of red meat in Iran stood at 39,600 tons in the seventh month of the current Iranian calendar year (September 22-October 21), showing 55 percent growth compared to the same month in the past year.

The SCI’s report said that beef and veal had the lion’s share in the country’s red meat output during the seventh month with 22,400 tons, followed by lamb and mutton with 13,500 tons, goat meat with 2,900 tons, and red meat from other livestock with 794 tons. 

Iran is among the leading consumers of red meat in the West Asia region with lamb being the most sought after.

However, the consumption per person is around a third of what is normally seen in countries like the U.S. and Australia, mainly due to the prohibition of pork in Islamic law.

The major part of Iran’s red meat imports comes from countries like Brazil, where Iranian supervisors directly control culling methods to ensure they comply with religious rules.

MA/MA