Iran-Africa trade rises 66% in nine months, agriculture minister says

Iran's Minister of Agriculture, Gholamreza Nouri Qezeljeh, said that trade between Iran and African countries increased by 66 percent over the past nine months, while noting that the volume remains far below existing capacities. He made the remarks at the First National Meeting on Iran-Africa Agricultural Cooperation, according to a report by Mehr News Agency (MNA).

“This figure is still limited compared to the capacity of the large market of the African continent with more than one billion people,” Nouri Qezeljeh said, adding that “this number is small, but its direction of movement is correct, and economic cooperation between the two sides must be expanded through planning.”

The minister highlighted that about two-thirds of Iran's imports from Africa consist of food and agricultural products. He said cooperation in this sector should not be limited to one-way trade but must move toward the formation of joint value chains, mutual investment, and technology transfer.

Nouri Qezeljeh identified the removal of executive obstacles and the strengthening of communication among responsible institutions as a priority. “Economic actors, in order to enter into sustainable cooperation, need clear procedures, reliable transportation, practical payment mechanisms, insurance and investment coverage, and predictable regulations,” he said. He added that in the area of tariffs and trade facilitation, the capacity of bilateral agreements and regional mechanisms could be examined with the participation of relevant bodies.

Emphasizing the need to continuously follow up on executive obstacles, the minister stated: “The problems of each project must be clearly identified and recorded, the responsible body must be designated to follow it up, and the progress of the work must be evaluated within clear time frames.”

At the opening of the meeting, Nouri Qezeljeh stressed that opportunities for joint agricultural cooperation with Africa are available and must be converted into concrete, operational, and lasting economic ties. The event was attended by ambassadors, economic counselors, honorary consuls, officials from executive bodies, economic associations, entrepreneurs, investors, and more than 200 economic actors. The minister said this broad participation provided a valuable opportunity to translate the political will for expanding Iran-Africa relations into specific projects and durable economic partnerships.

According to Mehr News Agency, the First National Meeting on Iran-Africa Agricultural Cooperation served as a platform to discuss ways to enhance bilateral trade and address practical barriers faced by economic actors.