TEHRAN- Production of red meat in Iran has dropped three percent during this year’s autumn (which corresponds to the third quarter of the Iranian calendar year) compared to the same season in the previous year, Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) has announced.

As the SCI has reported, 81,500 tons of red meat have been produced in the country during autumn, IRIB reported.

The report said that beef and veal had the lion’s share (53 percent) in the country’s red meat output during autumn with 43,200 tons, followed by lamb and mutton with 29,400 tons, goat meat with 6,600 tons, and red meat from other livestock with 2,300 tons.

As previously announced by SCI, production of red meat in Iran has dropped 22 percent during this year’s summer compared to the same season in the previous year.

Some 77,000 tons of red meat have been produced in the country during summer.

Last month, the managing director of Iran’s Central Union of Animal Farmers said there is no need for imports of red meat this year (ends on March 19, 2020), due to surplus production.

Pointing out that the country’s red meat output meets almost 90 percent of the domestic demand every year, Saeed Soltani Sarvestani said: “This year, however, we don’t need to import any red meat since our production has exceeded demand.”

To support domestic production, importers and suppliers of red meat in the country should purchase the mentioned surplus livestock from producers rather than importing it, so that it could benefit both producers and consumers in addition to protecting national interests, Sarvestani said.

The official further noted that due to the ample supply of the mentioned commodity, the prices have also witnessed a significant decrease in the past few weeks.

He cited lower consumption and prevention of live livestock exports as the main reasons for the increase of live livestock in the country.

Last year, about 895,000 tons of red meat was produced in the country and more than 160,000 tons of the commodity was also imported into the country.

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.  

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