Iran to export black caviar to Europe

/By AzerNews/

By Vusala Abbasova

Iran will export black caviar to European countries, bringing great revenues to the country.

The Deputy Head of Mazandaran’s Fisheries Department for Aquaculture, Valiolla Mohammadzade, said that the company has received a certificate to export its high-priced product to Europe.

He stressed that the production of sturgeon meat and caviar are their main aims, and for this purpose, his office supports the production of caviar through commissioning an aquaculture farm.

Therefore, a new farm recently was recently unveiled in Juybar (Iran) in the presence of first Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri that will produce 30 tons caviar and 2000 tons fish.

This farm is the largest center for the breeding of sturgeon in the Near and Middle East with Kare-Borun farming established at the heart of it, covering an area of 5 hectares and with 96 pools for keeping fish.

He also noted that the current price for each kilogram of the caviar is $870.

So far, Mazandaran province has exported cultured caviar to several European countries, including Britain, Germany, and Belgium, who were the main importers of Iranian caviar.

As many as 523 kilograms cultured caviar worth 455,000 dollars have been exported to European countries over the past four months of the current Iranian year, according to statistics published by Mazandaran Fisheries Department.

Some 361.9 kg of cultured caviar, worth more than $314,000, were exported from Mazandaran in the first 9 months of the year, which started on March 21.

Compared with the last year, 219kg of this product, valued $190,530, were exported from the province showing a roughly 65 percent growth in weight and value.

Climatic and geographic conditions and a large amount of water resources are the most important advantages in the province for fish production, supply, and exports.

Overall, 6,619 tons of fish, worth $27.9 million, were exported from the province in the first nine months.

He added that just during Azar (the 9th month in Iranian calendar), 11 kilograms of cultured caviar worth $10,000 was exported to Europe from Mazandaran Province.

Moreover, 6,180 tons of fresh culture fish worth $27.4 million, 109 tons of seafood worth $109,000, and 331 tons of Kilka fish worth $265,000 were exported to Europe over the mentioned period.

There is more than 65,000 tons of fisheries produced in Mazandaran Province annually.