ran’s exports of agricultural products surged by 13 percent in value terms in the eight months to November 20 compared to the similar period last year, says an official.

The IRNA news agency cited Mehrdad Jamal from the Iranian customs office (IRICA) as saying on Monday that total agrifood exports from Iran in the first eight months of the current calendar year had reached $3.842 billion.

Jamal said that agrifood shipments from Iran had reached nearly 5.5 million metric tons in volume terms over the same period.

Pistachio, tomato, watermelon, tomato paste, pistachio kernel, and apple topped the list of main export items, said Jamal, adding that those products had accounted for nearly $1.312 billion in hard currency revenues, an increase of 30 percent year on year in November.

Pistachio exports boomed this year as shipments rose 82 percent in value terms to $675 million for 109,000 tons of cargoes, said the official.

ncreased agrifood exports from Iran come despite restrictions imposed at borders earlier this year to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Farming products accounted for nearly 18 percent of Iran’s total non-oil exports in the eight months to late November, according to IRICA figures.

Iran has introduced various schemes to encourage agrifood exports as it seeks to diversify the economy away from oil to compensate for losses suffered in direct oil exports because of American sanctions.

Iranian agricultural products are popular in neighboring countries, especially in Iraq and in Arab states of the Persian Gulf region.

A recent trade agreement signed between Iran and a Russia-led economic bloc in the Eurasia region has also bolstered Iran’s farming exports.