December 21, 2007

EU re-opens doors to Iran shrimp exports

EU lifted the ban on Iran shrimp exports after five years through cooperation between ministries of agriculture and foreign affairs.

The ban on shrimp export to the EU was lifted through efforts by Agricultural Jihad Minister Mohammadreza Eskandari and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Managing Director of Iran Seafood Farm and Exports Cooperatives Arsalan Qasemi.

Eskandari pointed that the problem on shrimp exports to EU were removed after five years. Following the European ban on shrimp imports from Iran five years ago, a special committee was set up by the two ministries. The drafted monitoring plans were then presented to the EU Food Safety Commission.

Qasemi said that with the lifting of the ban, other obstacles to the development of the industry should also be removed in an effort to increase shrimp revenues and exhaust its potentials.

He disclosed that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a letter has ordered the banks to reconsider lending rates and fines imposed on shrimp farmers who had defaulted in payments.

The letter has been notified to all banks by deputy commerce ministers for banking affairs. If banks support shrimp farmers, output could reach 15,000 tonnes, Qasemi estimated.