Russia exporting pork to Iran
Russia’s southern Rostov region has exported 17 tonnes of pork to Iran over a five-day period, the Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor reported on June 26.
Despite the newly listed export market, Iran is technically a pork-free market due to being overwhelmingly Muslim. Local supermarkets do not cater for non-Muslims like other countries in the region.
Only specific Christian-owned shops can sell the meat to non-Muslims in the country. Iran is home to approximately 300,000 Christians, primarily of Armenian and Assyrian descent, who are not subject to Islamic dietary restrictions.
This export could signal a shift in Iran’s import policies to cater to its diverse population, or it might indicate growing trade relations between Russia and Iran’s minority communities.
Russia exported 46,800 tonnes of pork in 1Q23, marking a 32% year-on-year increase, Pig Progress reported, citing the Russian Union of Pork Producers estimates.
Exports to Vietnam for instance jumped by 130% to 18,800 tonnes, to Hong Kong by 140% to 1,600 tonnes, to Mongolia by 44% to 1,400 tonnes. Sales to Belarus climbed by 18%, reaching 16,600 tonnes. Iran was not listed in the exports.
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