By  Trend

About 50 percent of food from Iran is exported to Iraq, the UAE and Afghanistan, but return of currency obtained from exports has complicated the situation, Chairman of the Committee for Agriculture, Water and Food Industries of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) Kaveh Zargaran said, Trend reports via IRIB.

He said considering conditions in these markets and the settlements in national currency, return of the foreign currency is a big problem for exporters, and a blow to exports.

He added that another problem is the change in the cost of export products.

“We have tested the Russian market twice, the value of the Russian food market is $27 billion,” he said. “However, we didn’t succeed, because the products of Iran don’t have the possibility to be exported to Russia. This issue shows it is necessary to manufacture a product that is necessary for the market.”

“Previously, positive steps were taken in the export of agricultural and food products to India,” he said. “For example, the exports of apples from Iran to India reached $11 million, but we have lost that market. I think we need to strengthen political relations in order to protect the export markets under the current conditions.”