December 31, 2025

 

Iran sees 37% jump in shrimp production

 

 

The Iran Fisheries Organization (IFO) announced that shrimp production in 2025 has reached 50,000 tonnes, a 37% increase compared to last year.

 

Mehrdad Mohammadidoust, director general of the Shrimp and Saltwater Aquatics Office, referring to the ongoing shrimp harvest from farms across the country, stated: "This year, the shrimp cultivation area in the country's breeding ponds has reached 17,890 hectares, from which 13,638 hectares have been harvested so far."

 

He added that shrimp farmers have so far obtained over 50,000 tonnes of product from this area.

 

The official continued that during this period, Bushehr province, with a harvest of approximately 28,170 tonnes of shrimp, has ranked first in production and recorded the highest production growth with a 71% increase compared to the same period last year.

 

He further stated that there are still about 200 hectares of shrimp farms remaining in Bushehr province, which will be harvested in the coming days.

 

According to Mohammadidoust, 10,142 tonnes of shrimp have been produced so far in Hormozgan province, and about 4,000 additional hectares of breeding ponds in this province are in the harvest stage.

 

Mohammadidoust said: "Sistan-Baluchestan province, with a production of 4,834 tonnes of shrimp and a recorded 61% production growth compared to the same period in the last year, has taken the third rank in the country. Khuzestan province with 2,580 tonnes and Golestan province with 4,310 tonnes of production are in the subsequent ranks."

 

Iran's fishery sector is a vital component of its non-oil economy and food security, strategically leveraging its access to the Caspian Sea in the north and the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea in the south. The sector is broadly divided into two categories: capture fisheries (wild catch) and aquaculture (farming).

 

In recent years, aquaculture has become the dominant force, driving overall growth and now accounting for the majority of Iran's total fishery production.

 

Shrimp production has emerged as Iran's major export commodity. Concentrated in the coastal provinces of Bushehr, Hormozgan, and Sistan-Baluchestan, shrimp farming has seen rapid technological advancement and area expansion. Annual production often exceeds 50,000 tonnes, with Bushehr province alone contributing over half of this total.

 

Production has consistently grown year-on-year, with increases of 30-40% not uncommon, driven by improved hatchery outputs, better feed management, and enhanced farm practices.

 

Iranian shrimp, particularly from the southern regions, is known for its quality and is a key export to markets in Southeast Asia, Russia, and the Persian Gulf states. The government and private sector actively promote shrimp farming as a path to regional economic development, job creation, and foreign currency earnings.

 

- Tehran Times