Deputy Agriculture Minister Ali Akbar Mehrfard told Tasnim on Wednesday that the ministry has decided to import meat from Mongolia and a number of neighboring countries, including Armenia, whose climate is similar to Iran’s.
The official also unveiled plans for increased supply of frozen Brazilian beef to meet the market’s demand ahead of the lunar month of Muharram.
During the upcoming mourning ceremonies in Muharram, Iranian Shiites traditionally cook food for charity (called Nazri) and distribute it among the neighbors, family and poor people.
Free food is also offered to people participating in the mourning ceremonies.
The plans for the import of red meat follow an August report by the FAO office in Iran, mentioning a great annual loss of red meat in Iran.
In Iran, at least 100,000 tons of red meat is lost in the supply chain annually, which if reduced would lead to the country’s self-sufficiency in red meat production, FAO representative office in Iran said.
Iran produces 950,000 tons of red meat and 1.75 million tons of poultry meat on an annual basis, which when taking into account the import of 100,000 tons of red and poultry meat each year, results in a total figure of 2.8 million tons of meat in the country.
Although the meat loss figures in Iran are relatively low, the country still loses 300,000 tons of red and poultry meat in the form of waste.