TEHRAN- Production of red meat in Iran has dropped 22 percent during this year’s summer compared to the same season in the previous year, Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) has announced.

As the SCI has reported, 77,000 tons of red meat have been produced in the country during summer, IRNA reported.

The report said that beef and veal had the lion’s share in the country’s red meat output during summer with 43,000 tons, followed by lamb and mutton with 25,700 tons, goat meat with 6,100 tons, and buffalo meat with 590 tons.

Iran is among the leading consumers of red meat in the Middle East 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.  

Around 10 percent of the domestic demand is responded to with imports from countries like Brazil, where Iranian supervisors directly control culling methods to ensure they comply with religious rules.

MA/MA