A few weeks before Ramadan, which this year coincides with the beginning of March, Iranian date exporters are enjoying solid demand and sufficient stocks. Hossein Vasei, business development manager of Amoot Iranian, reports on the market trend.
Iranian date supply has improved this season, says Vasei: "Total date production in Iran this season is around 1.3 million tons, up 8% on last season. Mazafati dates, mainly from Bam, account for 180,000 tons, up 10% from last year. This increase is due to favorable weather conditions, as moderate temperatures and well-distributed rainfall boosted yields and quality. There were fewer heat waves, and effective irrigation alleviated the drought stress that we experienced in some areas."
Ramadan is the busiest time of the year for Iranian date exporters. "We are actively preparing for it. At Amoot Iranian, we have anticipated this period with several measures: we enhanced sorting, expanded cold storage, optimized logistics for timely delivery, and introduced custom, eco-friendly packaging."
Demand is coming particularly from Asian countries with large Muslim populations, according to Vasei: "We see strong demand in the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia. However, we have less demand than usual from Europe which is due to the economic context."
"In terms of varieties, demand is mainly for Mazafati. Other sought-after varieties include Piarom for premium markets, Kabkab, which is used for baking and industrial purposes, and Sayer for bulk trade," Vasei continues.
However, some difficulties curb exports, as Vasei reports, "Inflation continues to pose a real problem, especially in shipping costs. We're also facing supply chain disruptions, particularly in the supply of premium packaging materials."
In addition to the Ramadan period, exporters are also seeing growing markets for dates, especially Mazafati: "The health-focused market segment is expanding, especially in Northern Europe," Vasei concludes.
For more information:
Hossein Vasei
Amoot Iranian
Tel: +98 915 689 3506
Email: [email protected]
www.amootiranian.com